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BT: No demand yet for 1Gb broadband

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Posted 3rd March 2010 at 10:40am by Oliver Folkard

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Despite the relatively limitless potential of fibre-to-the-premises broadband, there is not yet any need for Gigabit-capable connections, it has been claimed.

Speaking to PC Pro, BT Openreach Chief Executive Steve Robertson said the current market-leading 100Mb speeds were fast enough to support present consumer activity online.

He commented: "There is no piece of computer premises equipment that is even remotely on the drawing board that could even begin to consume a Gigabit. Not even close to it.

"Even the most advanced high definition experiences don't consume 100Mb, never mind a Gigabit. I don't see the market requirement for it."

However, Mr Robertson claimed that as soon as sufficient demand for 1Gb broadband services can be demonstrated, BT will look at providing it.

He predicted there will be a need for faster speeds in the future, but said it could take "a long time" for this to materialise.

Internet service provider BT is currently investing £1.5 billion upgrading telephone exchanges across the UK to support faster broadband speeds.

More news on: BT, Broadband speeds

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4 comments

  • Dan, 3rd March 2010.

    Finally some sense! All this talk of pushing the highspeed marker higher and higher is just pointless! Get the masses on to average speeds of 10Mb, so that households with multiple connections can watch tv, game, surf etc, etc. Then start looking to the future.

    Even now why push 50mb, 100mb into little pockets of the well selected areas of the UK when there are huge areas which struggle to get 1Mb? We need to be pushing up the average speed, not the highest possible speed!

    Reply

  • Will, 3rd March 2010.

    I agree with BT, 1Gb is too much for home users, but may be useful for big organisations.

    What BT should be doing now is to improve the network infrastructure. Adding more bandwidth so shaping the traffic over peak hours is not needed. That's the priority. I want my 6.3Mb all day, all night.

    Reply

  • Tom, 4th March 2010.

    How can a high standard company like BT even think about 1GB broadband when there is still a large amount of the UK that isn't even supplied with fibre optic connections already?

    Reply

  • Ben, 31st March 2010.

    Surely if they raise the top end to 1Gb then the average will also be raised in the process? There are certainly lots of commercial requirements for 1Gb speeds for example the film and tv industry, creative and digital media industries just being a few examples.

    If they start making the moves to raise the bar now then there might just be a modicum of a chance that something will happen in the next 10 years and you can be sure that consumers will need it then.

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