UK's first 100Mbit/sec homes arrive in March

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 19 Jan 2009 at 14:07

H2O Networks, the firm which is rolling out 100Mb/sec broadband in Bournemouth, has announced that the first 30 homes will be wired by March.

Aside from the obvious benefits of having a superfast broadband connection, the lucky first 30 will also receive a free connection and free service period while the engineers finish working in their area.

However, once the engineers move on, these homes will need to begin paying a subscription, though the price of the service has yet to be confirmed.

According to figures from the Bournemouth Echo, around 5,600 residents and businesses have opted to be wired into the network since September, representing a 40% take-up of the service, though none of these subscribers are obliged to use the network once it's made live.

Bournemouth's Fibre City project is aiming to have the entire city wired by 2010, a feat which will reportedly cost around ?30 million. Though a hefty figure, H20 claims the cost is much lower than it could be thanks to its ability to run its fibre through the sewers, rather than digging up the streets.

In a similiar move, Openreach has been trialling fibre in 30 homes in Ebbsfleet Valley in Kent since September, offering connection speeds of around 95Mbit/sec.