This can be called nothing less that a historical moment for the popular internet service provider operating in the United Kingdom, Eclipse Internet as it has announced the launch of its own fibre optic broadband packages based on fibre to the cabinet technology.

It is quite significant as the two proposed fibre optic broadband packages of Eclipse Internet; Eclipse Fibre and Eclipse Fibre Pro are potent enough to deliver download speeds of up to 40Mbps (which would directly put them as competitors to Virgin Media’s and BT’s services) and upload speed of 10Mbps.

Eclipse Internet has also promised the aspiring customers a thoroughput speed of 12Mbps and the service is expected to go live on April 12 for the existing customers and April 19 for the fresh customers.

The packages predominantly being business focused, will have their prices starting from GBP 39.95 a month with an additional GBP 75 as installation charge. This package includes the visit of an engineer to sum up.

Eclipse Internet with its fresh announcement would fall only next to internet service providers BT and AAISP in launching broadband services based on FTTC technology. The broadband provider claims to have successfully trialed the service with their existing customers before coming up with the announcement.

The developments of the late also imply that the broadband internet customers of Eclipse Internet could be a few of the first consumers in the United Kingdom to benefit from the FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) pilot that began officially in the month of October. It is obvious that these consumers will also be provided with an enhanced online experience.

Another aspect – probably the most significant of all – of the FTTC trials is that it offers both the home broadband as well as business broadband users in the country an upload speed of 5Mbps and a download speed of 40Mbps.

Eclipse Internet’s director Clodagh Murphy commented on the fibre broadband upgrade that demand among the business and individual customers for faster broadband internet solutions was continuing apace. He added that Eclipse has been hosting services and broadband to businesses and homes across the country for more than fourteen years.

Murphy further claimed that they were highly excited to carry on being at the forefront of internet broadband advancements besides being part of the fibre to the cabinet trial.

At present, up to sixty business and home broadband customers of Eclipse Internet are participating in the fibre to the cabinet pilot, which on getting concluded in December, would be continued for all the customers using their fibre optic broadband connection that had participated in the trials.

The internet service provider had called on its subscribers in the country to engage its optimisation tool to make sure that their broadband connections endured during the World Cup qualifier game between England and Ukraine. Apart from this, the experts of the UK ISP had also worked overtime to supervise the performance of the network throughout the game.

The online broadcaster of the sports event, Perform was also kept in contact by Eclipse Internet ISP throughout the match to make sure that it was completely aware of any issue that could have popped up.

According to the director of Eclipse Internet, Clodagh Murphy, the technical support team of Eclipse Internetdeserved a vote of appreciation for all their efforts to make sure that their customers as well as network were kept ready for the England – Ukraine World Cup qulaifier.

Incidentally, Perform, the sports online broadcaster had claimed recently that the broadcast of the World Cup qualifier between England and Ukraine was extremely successful. The broadcaster also claimed that a post-game survey had revealed that eighty nine per cent of the UK people would enjoy a different live online sports event broadcast in the future.

The system offered by the internet service provider is all about a five-step questionnaire based on self-assessment, using which the businesses can assess their fragility as well as receive updates on improved broadband service products that can help them considerably in crisis-management.

Eclipse Internet business specialist Mark Thomas explained the decision of the ISP to launch a dedicated website on swine flu that the pandemic of Swine flu has revealed just hoe unprepared most of the small businesses were to cope at the instance of any disaster, hence it was essential that the owners of the businesses considered the implications.

Meanwhile, a research study published by NARA (National Archieves and Records Administration) suggested that around 80 per cent of the businesses in the country that did not have a reasonable support and recovery strategy were found crumbling within a couple of years of a major disaster.

The research added that the government presentiments suggesting the pandemic peaking later in the year with an absenteeism of around 50 per cent also did not augur well for the industry.

With Eclipse business broadband packages, the customers can make 1000 minutes free calls to UK landlines and cheaper calls to mobiles (Eclipse TalkMore) and can use other services like Hosted Sharepoint, Hosted Exchange and PC Data backup for emailing and storing digital data and files.

Home Lite offers 2GB monthly download limit for £7.95 a month and includes other features like 10 email addresses and 50MB of personal web space to build your own website.

With Home Select deal, you get 10GB monthly usage allowance, 10 email addresses and 100MB of personal web space for £12.95 a month.

Home Pro is ideal for heavy users or professionals. Home Pro comes with free setup, wireless router and huge 50GB monthly download limit. You also get free overnight usage, Eclipse TalkMore telephone connection, free domain name, 10 email addresses, 100 MB of personal web space and PC Backup service.

Eclipse Home Office, the basic business service from the provider offers 3 GB usage allowance for £14.95 a month and also includes one email address and a TalkMore phone service.

Business 20 will now cost £19.95 a month. You get unlimited email addresses, one free domain name, 250MB web space, TalkMore and access to one Hosted Sharepoint service.

Business 50 which offers 50GB usage allowance will cost £29.95 a month. You get unlimited email addresses, one free domain name, 250MB web space, TalkMore and access to five Hosted Sharepoint services and two Hosted Exchange services.

With Business Unlimited broadband packages you get two 250MB web space, unlimited email addresses and two domain names and access to ten Hosted Sharepoint and five Hosted Exchange services. The package will cost £49.95 a month.