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One million homes to get super-fast broadband: BT reveals 163 new fibre exchanges

BT's £2.5bn rollout of fibre-based technology continues, with the addition of 163 exchanges that will soon be able to provide super-fast broadband to homes across the UK.
Written by Ben Woods, Contributor

BT has named 163 new exchanges that will become fibre enabled before the end of 2013, as part of its £2.5bn rollout of primarily fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) technology.

The company said on Tuesday that more than 11 million people already have access to its fibre-based Infinity services, but that this phase of the ongoing rollout will add another million homes to that total.

BT
The latest stage of BT's fibre rollout will provide access to super-fast services for another one million homes, it said. Image: BT

"Today's announcement shows that we are well into our journey to bring fibre to two-thirds of the UK by the end of 2014," Mike Galvin, OpenReach's managing director of network investment, said in a statement.

The new exchanges are spread across the country, BT said, "from Torquay, in Devon, to Kilbirnie in Scotland". (For a full list, see page 2.)

BT announced its intention to spend £2.5bn on upgrading its network in 2010, and it plans to cover two-thirds of the UK using its own resources. The company is also involved in the government's Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) process, which aims to bring super-fast broadband to 90 percent of the country by 2015 and provide a minimum of 2Mbps for everyone, even in the most remote areas.

However, the BDUK process has come under scrutiny by the EU's competition commission with regard to state aid funding rules, as BT has been the only company to have a broadband bid accepted by local authorities.

BT has also been accused of artificially inflating the costs of the fibre rollout in order to win state aid funds. However, the telecoms incumbent has denied that it was trying to pass on the full cost of deployment to public sector partners.

BDUK rollout

Undeterred by the scrutiny, criticism or rumours, BT is continuing to bid on BDUK projects, and in the most recent instance, said on Monday it has won a contract with Suffolk County Council for its £41m rollout.

"We have now announced the bulk of the exchanges we will be deploying fibre to under our own steam, but we are keen to go even further with the help of BDUK funding," a BT spokesman told ZDNet.

"We will continue to engage with local government and communities to try and give as many people as possible access to the benefits of fibre broadband."

BT's Infinity fibre service offers download speeds of up to 80Mbps and uploads of up to 20Mbps. BT said that where available, it provides fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) connectivity with download speeds of up to 330Mbps. However, the company confirmed to ZDNet that only a small percentage of these new exchanges will be FTTP-enabled.

By comparison, Virgin Media sells a cable-based super-fast service that promises speeds of up to 100Mbps, and that is currently in the process of being upgraded to 120Mbps.

See the full list of exchanges to get a fibre upgrade.

Here is the full list of exchanges to get a fibre upgrade, as announced by BT on Tuesday.

Exchange Name

  1. ACOMB
  2. AIRDRIE
  3. ALCESTER
  4. ALLESLEY
  5. ALNWICK
  6. ALVA
  7. AMBLE
  8. ANSTRUTHER
  9. ARROWEBROOK
  10. ASTON COMMON
  11. AUGHTON GREEN
  12. BACUP
  13. BARNSTAPLE
  14. BATLEY
  15. BEARWOOD
  16. BELLSHILL
  17. BILLINGSHURST
  18. BINLEY
  19. BIRMINGHAM SOUTH
  20. BLACKBURN
  21. BLACKPOOL
  22. BOVEY TRACEY
  23. BRIMSCOMBE
  24. BROWNHILLS
  25. BUCKHAVEN
  26. BURNLEY
  27. BURNTISLAND
  28. BURSCOUGH
  29. CASTLEHAM
  30. CHERITON
  31. CHRISTCHURCH; DORSET
  32. CLEVEDON
  33. COCKENZIE
  34. CODSALL
  35. COLLYHURST
  36. COMBE DOWN
  37. COWDENBEATH
  38. CROFTON
  39. CROSS HILLS
  40. CULCHETH PADGATE
  41. CUPAR
  42. DARVEL
  43. DARWEN
  44. DAWLISH
  45. DENNY
  46. DESFORD
  47. DINGWALL
  48. DRAYCOTT
  49. DUNOON
  50. DURSLEY
  51. EARL SHILTON
  52. EAST LEAKE
  53. EAST WIGSTON
  54. EDINBURGH FAIRMILEHEAD
  55. EDWALTON
  56. ELGIN
  57. EXHALL
  58. FORT WILLIAM
  59. FRODSHAM
  60. GARSTANG
  61. GATEACRE
  62. GATLEY
  63. GIRVAN
  64. GLENBOIG
  65. GLENROTHES CENTRAL
  66. GLENROTHES NORTH
  67. GOLDTHORPE
  68. HADDINGTON
  69. HARBORNE
  70. HATFIELD WOODHOUSE
  71. HAWICK
  72. HAYLING ISLAND
  73. HECKMONDWIKE
  74. HELENSBURGH
  75. HELSBY
  76. HIGH GREEN
  77. HOLYMOORSIDE
  78. HOLYTOWN
  79. HONITON
  80. HOYLAKE
  81. HUDDERSFIELD
  82. ILMINSTER
  83. KELSO
  84. KELTY
  85. KEYNSHAM
  86. KIDSGROVE
  87. KILBIRNIE
  88. KILLINGWORTH
  89. KILWINNING
  90. KIMBERLEY
  91. KIRRIEMUIR
  92. LAISTERDYKE
  93. LANARK
  94. LARKHALL
  95. LEABROOKS
  96. LEDBURY
  97. LEE-ON- SOLENT
  98. LEMINGTON
  99. LEOMINSTER
  100. LESMAHAGOW
  101. LODGE HILL
  102. LONGFORD
  103. LONGTON; STAFFORDSHIRE
  104. LUDLOW
  105. LYME REGIS
  106. MAINDEE
  107. MARLBOROUGH
  108. MARYPORT
  109. NELSON; LANCASHIRE
  110. NEW OAKLEY
  111. NEWTON-LE-WILLOWS
  112. NORTHBOURNE
  113. OAKENGATES
  114. OKEHAMPTON
  115. PELSALL
  116. PENISTONE
  117. PERSHORE
  118. PETERSFIELD
  119. PLYMSTOCK
  120. QUEENSBURY
  121. RADFORD
  122. RECTORY
  123. REPTON
  124. ROTHERHAM NORTH
  125. ROWLANDS GILL
  126. ROWNHAMS
  127. RUNCORN
  128. RYE
  129. SAFFRON WALDEN
  130. SCOTTER
  131. SHELDON
  132. SHERBORNE
  133. SHILDON
  134. SHIREBROOK
  135. SKEGNESS
  136. SLAITHWAITE
  137. SOMERSHAM
  138. SOUTH SHORE
  139. STARBECK
  140. STAVELEY; DERBYSHIRE
  141. STUBBINGTON
  142. STUDLEY
  143. TAVISTOCK
  144. TENTERDEN
  145. THORNBURY
  146. TIBSHELF
  147. TIVERTON
  148. TODMORDEN
  149. TORQUAY
  150. TOTNES
  151. TRANENT
  152. TWYFORD; HAMPSHIRE
  153. VICTORIA
  154. WAREHAM
  155. WARSOP
  156. WATERHAYS DIMSDALE
  157. WEST AYTON
  158. WHITBURN; LOTHIAN
  159. WHITLEY BAY
  160. WICKHAM
  161. WIRKSWORTH
  162. WOMBOURNE
  163. YELVERTON
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