BT unveils which towns will get next-gen broadband first

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 31 Mar 2008 at 08:49

BT has issued details of the first 868 exchanges to get its next-generation 21CN broadband service.

The 21CN network offers speeds up to a theoretical maximum of 24Mb/sec, although actual throughput will be significantly slower for many customers, according to BT's own figures.

82 exchanges will be switched on to BT's new Wholesale Broadband Connect by the end of April, covering roughly 5% of the country. BT has already enabled 39 of those exchanges, a full list of which can found on SamknowsBroadband.com.

All bar one of the enabled exchanges - Swansea in Wales - is located in the West Midlands.

BT has also set dates for when hundreds more of the country's exchanges will be upgraded. You can find out if a date's been set for your town using the Exchange Checker here. The key date you're looking for is the "21CN WBC status".

All of the 868 exchanges that have dates set should be enabled by 19 May 2009. The rest of the country will be completed by 2012, according to BT's schedule.

With BT preparing to flick the switch on the new network, it will be interesting to see whether ISPs follow BT Wholesale's advice and stop selling broadband based on the largely unachievable headline speeds.

Last month, BT Wholesale's Guy Bradshaw told PC Pro that "as an industry, we should focus on average throughput." Whether BT's Retail division will resist the temptation to slap the "up to 24Mb/sec" label on their products awaits to be seen.