Broadband map shows BT's superfast fibre network can't meet demand

 

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Posted on 12 Nov 2009 at 18:10

A new map of the UK shows how the rollout of BT's next-generation broadband access (NGA) fibre network will lag behind consumer demand.

The map was created by Point Topic, a broadband analyst, and colours areas of the UK by household demand for broadband. Overlaid are BT's current and proposed sites for its NGA fibre network, which will deliver broadband speeds of up to 100Mbit/s, as well as high-speed networks announced by other providers.

Sadly, the demand for broadband by far outstrips the supply of BT's and other providers' new networks, which could leave the UK lagging behind the rest of the world in terms of speed. In fact, BT's current plans will see just 34.8 per cent of the population covered by its new network by the end of 2012, meaning more than 60 per cent of the UK will not have access to high-speed broadband until at least 2013.

??The current plans won??t even cover half of the areas of high demand,?? said Tim Johnson, chief analyst at Point Topic.

Judging by the map, the main areas chosen for NGA networks are those with high population densities. In other words, areas where the network investment will be easier to recoup.

Point Topic believes that this disparity in broadband speeds throughout the country will "cause heated controversy as many customers discover they cannot get the new high-speed services which their neighbours enjoy. As NGA services develop - high-quality video communication, total immersion in online games, simultaneous broadband access for multiple home users - the gap will seem increasingly unacceptable."

The release of this broadband map and its implications could have the effect of reigniting the debate about whether the government should subsidise less financially attractive areas to bring broadband equality to the UK and keep us up to speed with the rest of the world.

Author: David Ludlow