20 August 2008
The UK's current network of copper telephone cables could theoretically be able to deliver broadband speeds of up to 50 megabits per second (mb/s), a recent investigation by Ofcom has suggested. However, this estimation only works in theory as an upstream modem would be required to be hosted in the exchange - the survey found that if this was to take place, 18 per cent of households in the UK could experience faster broadband. In reality, as the quality of copper wiring varies between households, speeds are more likely to be lower. Upstream modems would need to be installed at the end of every UK street to achieve speeds of up to 50 mb/s, the study concluded, with investment needed to bring Britain's broadband speeds in line with the rest of Europe. Meanwhile, the recent DongleTrack report from YouGov found that more mobile broadband users are opting for a mobile broadband service rather than a fixed traditional internet service provider.
© 2008 Adfero Ltd
Content for the uSwitch.com market news service is provided by a third party, Adfero Ltd. Whilst uSwitch.com makes reasonable efforts to check the reliability of this content, uSwitch.com does not guarantee the accuracy thereof or endorse the views or opinions given by Adfero Ltd, unless expressly stated otherwise.