BT doubles fibre to home target

BT has announced the roll out of its (up to 100Mb) fibre to the home (FTTH) network will reach twice as many homes as previously estimated.

BT Openreach, which is overseeing the fibre roll out, estimated last year that 1m households would have access to the fibre to the home (FTTH) network by 2012. It now believes that number will increase to 2.5m homes, or one in ten UK households.

Steve Robertson, Head of BT Openreach, has told FT.com that the initial cost of rolling out FTTH has been less than previously expected. Hence the company can increase its fibre to the home network, and not just a street cabinet, within its £1.5bn budget.

BT Openreach

Doubled proportions

When the plans were originally announced a year ago, the estimation was that of the 10m homes BT was going to bring fibre to, 1m would enjoy FTTH and 9m the cheaper option of fibre to the cabinet (FTTC). These plans have now been upgrade to bring FTTH to 2.5m homes and FTTC to 7.5m. In other words, while the total number of homes provided with fibre remains unchanged, the proportion receiving faster FTTH has been increased.

With FTTC, fibre is taken to a street cabinet and then reaches homes via a conventional, copper connection. With FTTH the fibre optic cable is taken all the way to the home, so speeds are faster.

BT estimates the difference in speed would mean FTTC will provide up to 40Mb and FTTH up to 100Mb.

Tags: 2012, Broadband Fibre, BT, BT Openreach, fttc, FTTH, Steve Robertson