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Sheffield homes set for broadband upgrade
Thursday 12th March 2009, by Daniel King
Broadband users in Sheffield are set to be among the first in the country to benefit from BT's new next-generation infrastructure.
The telecoms firm plans to complete upgrades to more than 117,000 lines in the city by the end of the next month, allowing residents to make use of its pioneering 21st Century Network.
Allowing broadband speeds of up to 20Mbps, the service will more than double the maximum download rate currently available to most customers across the UK and enable users to make use of the latest online features such as BBC iPlayer.
BT regional director John Anderson said the development is a key milestone for the city and would provide numerous benefits for both homes and businesses in the area.
"Sheffield is one of the first major communities in the UK to achieve this level of coverage," he commented.
"It will play a major role in helping Sheffield and the region as a whole attract and retain inward investment."
He added that the BT network is an entirely new service rather than just an improvement of what already exists and would help transform communications.
It will be available to around 60 per cent of telephone and broadband exchanges in Sheffield by the end of April.
The announcement comes after Gateshead council revealed plans to introduce next-generation broadband access at a brownfield site which has been set aside for housing development in the city.
All new homes built in the area will be connected to a superfast fibre-optic network that will offer potential download speeds in excess of 100Mbps.
