BT earmarks major cities and rural areas for next-gen network

BT has announced the locations which will first to receive next-gen broadband services when the group is set to begin rollout of its £1.5 billion network.

From early 2010, customers in selected areas of London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast will all be able to sign up for trials of broadband services providing download speeds of around 40Mbps, and up to 60Mbps. Should the trials prove successful, then presumably city-wide rollouts will follow.

BT will also trial the new network in two rural regions – the Calder Valley near Halifax and Taffs Well in South Wales – which suggests that BT have their eye on a full nationwide rollout in the not so distant future. Obviously logistical problems encountered in the countryside will differ greatly from those encountered in the cities, meaning that BT will be well placed to extend their network when the time comes.

Whilst initial top speeds will hover around the 60Mbps mark, BT also stated that new build homes and businesses covered by the fibre footprint will be able to access speeds of up to 100Mbps by 2012, through fibre connections running all the way to the door.

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