BT Broadband

Approximately 4 million people in the UK use ADSL with an extra 2 million using a cable connection, meaning 6 million people in the UK have an always-on internet connection. Of these over 1.7 million are subscribed to BT's broadband package, making them the UK's main broadband provider.

Back in August 2000 BT first launched its high-speed internet connection to customers. Initially only available to around one third of UK households and costing £500 a year it was the first step in many to Broadband Britain.

There are currently only 2 ways to connect to ADSL in the UK. Recently a technique called Local Loop Unbundling means you don't need to have a BT phone line, but at the moment only 1% of people on broadband in the UK use this method. The only other way to connect transforms an existing BT phone line into a high-speed digital line. This is only available with a BT phone line though, so even if you don't subscribe to BT's package your ISP still has to pay BT money to maintain and connect your line. Because of this BT has been able to dictate the availability of broadband in the UK for a few years now.

For fear that UK telecoms watchdog Ofcom would break-up the company because they held a monopoly by owning all the phone lines and means to connect to broadband, BT has agreed to offer rival companies access to the "Local Loop", which is the network of telephone lines around the country. By doing this BT could stand to lose many customers as other companies can offer their broadband directly and without having to pay BT expenses.

Since the introduction of ADSL in the UK many potential customers found their local exchanges were simply out of date and the lines too old to be able to handle this new technology. Campaigns run country-wide as BT will only upgrade exchanges if there is adequate interest. ADSL is still not available in many villages and more rural areas of Britain but BT is vastly expanding and upgrading its network to try and cover all the country, Broadband is currently available in more than 96.6% of all UK households.

BT's standard package is 2Mbps with a 1 GB monthly download limit. This means you can only download 1 GB's worth of content, be it WebPages, music or movies, a month. This is more than enough for typical WebPages, but excessive music downloads will result in your account being suspended or limited for the rest of the month. You can upgrade your broadband to a 15 GB monthly limit for a little extra a month. BT also offers Pay As You Go dialup and unlimited dialup contracts.

BT Broadband also offers a variety of packages and upgrades designed to suit every user. You can upgrade to a gaming account to play xbox and PS2 games online, you can setup parental filters for your children, and there's protection against spam, junk mail, pop-ups, virus's and online intruders.

One of the main reasons people will continue to signup to BT is its reliability. They have broken the mould of all ISPs having poor customer service and are incredibly helpful with setting up your connection.

BT are aiming to trail their 8Mbps connection soon, intending it to be in common use by the end of the year. BT's ultimate goal is making broadband available throughout the country, including rural areas.

About The Author:

Neil Shevlin is the owner of UK Cheap Broadband which is a great place to find broadband links, resources and articles.

For more information go to: UK Cheap Broadband

http://www.ukcheapbroadband © Copyright 2005

Please feel free to copy and paste this article and its resource information.

TechShout!
They are online but still falling behind
The Star-Ledger - NJ.com, NJ - 10 hours ago
While much of the world has adopted high-speed broadband internet access, a surprising number of Americans are sticking with slower dial-up service, ...
Low-Income Americans Don't Want, Don't Need Broadband Internet eFluxMedia
Study: Price, Not Availability Keeping Dial-Up Users From Broadband AHN
Many Dial-Up Users Don't Want Broadband Digitaltrends.com
iT News - Mediapost.comall 206 news articles

Anthony Doesburg: Fast internet still a pipedream in the country
New Zealand Herald, New Zealand - Jul 5, 2008
By Anthony Doesburg City slickers who complain incessantly about their broadband internet options (that's me - I admit it) should spare a thought for their ...

Alvarion Rolls Out Mobile WiMAX Internet Service in the US
Trading Markets (press release), CA - 12 hours ago
The company said networks are already up and running with broadband Internet to businesses and homes across Jackson Hole, Wyoming. "We are delighted to turn ...

Vint Cerf Comments on Government's Role in Internet Broadband Access
CircleID, Canada - Jul 5, 2008
The idea is to provide new incentives for broadband Internet providers to keep the system open to new applications and to promote substantial competition, ...

Safaricom extends broadband internet service to Mombasa
Daily Nation, Kenya - Jul 3, 2008
Residents of Mombasa will enjoy broadband internet access after mobile phone firm, Safaricom, extended its services to the coastal town. ...

Companies propose ultra-fast broadband for Palo Alto
San Jose Mercury News,  USA - Jul 5, 2008
By Kristina Peterson After more starts and stops than a dial-up connection, ultra-high-speed broadband Internet may soon be feasible in Palo Alto. ...

Telefonica cuts broadband internet prices by up to 30% in Colombia
Telecom Paper (subscription), Netherlands - Jul 3, 2008
Telefonica Telecom has launched a new broadband internet offer, providing customers in the capital Bogota with internet speeds of up to 16 Mbps, ...
Movistar Colombia to launch 3G network in Q2 Telecom Paper (subscription)
all 2 news articles

Hindu Business Line
Using the Web to find talent
Hindu Business Line, India - 4 hours ago
Is this achievable, given the level of broadband/Internet penetration in the country? Also, can it replace face-to-face interaction? ...

Stiff competition seen in ICT as Triple-Play enters African markets
East African, Kenya - 8 hours ago
By PHILIP NGUNJIRI The increasing amount of broadband capacity in Africa has seen some operators begin to offer “triple-play� — that is voice, Internet and ...

BT rebuffs Telstra on anti-separation
The Australian, Australia - 51 minutes ago
And there's 200 different companies you can get broadband from in the UK -- everyone from Arsenal Football Club to Z Internet -- and that shows the vibrancy ...
Consortium telcos at odds over national network broadband bid The Age
all 5 news articles

Wind Chimes and more...

Windchimes for great gifts!

What are Your Internet Connection Solutions?