BT announces leaders in fibre broadband contest
Broadband provider BT said its on-going ‘Race to Infinity’ survey for finding the demand for fibre based, superfast broadband services across the UK has received more than 200,000 votes so far with two rural communities in Caxton in Cambridgeshire and Malvern in Worcestershire, having already passed the threshold of 1000 votes, could get fibre broadband by 2012.
Launching the project in early October, BT said it would upgrade five exchanges in rural places with the highest demand to fibre broadband by 2012.
The CEO of BT broadband, Gavin Patterson said the ‘Race to Infinity’ competition which lasts 31 December, will help rural communities to make their voices heard. However, villages with less than 1000 votes will not be considered for fibre upgrade, BT said.
The ISP is expected to announce the list of winning exchanges by early next year.
“However there is still quite a way to go until we reach the finishing line and everything to play for. I hope news that these communities who have already registered 1000 votes will spur people into action as this data will help BT determine where fibre broadband will be deployed in the coming years.” said Peter McCarthy-Ward, BT’s Regional director for East of England .
BT is expected to connect 10 million homes to its 40Mbps, fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) lines by the year end and add another six million homes between 2011 – 2015. A quarter of BT’s fibre upgrades will use fibre to the home (FTTH) broadband and deliver maximum speeds of 100Mbps.
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