BT Access Fibre Trials Inform Future Thinking

BT has been trialling the use of fibre in the access network in a series of trials over the last year. The trials are testing the technical and commercial issues associated with the possible deployment of fibre optic cable in the UK local access network.

From November 2004, more than 600 homes and businesses at Martlesham Heath, Suffolk; Milton Keynes and the Waterfront Studios business centre at Silvertown in London's Docklands have been taking part in BT’s fibre to the premise (FTTP) trial. It is looking at the economics associated with providing services to new build and greenfield site developments. All residential trial customers are receiving voice telephony and 10Mbit/s broadband as standard, with 100 BT trialists receiving 18Mbit/s broadband. All of the business trialists are receiving multiple voice telephony channels and 2Mbit/s symmetric service. The trial has proved an access fibre network is a cost-effective option for greenfield site deployment. Due to be completed at the end of March 2006, BT is currently monitoring and measuring fault performance.

In Yorkshire and Northern Ireland around 230 homes from September 2005 have been taking part in a trial aimed at improving broadband availability for small pockets of customers currently unable to benefit from high speed internet services over the telephone network. This trial involves installing broadband equipment in locations closer to the customers than the local BT exchange and has enabled some lines, which would not previously support broadband to do so.  All of the trial customers are now receiving a standard 2Mbit/s BT Yahoo broadband service. This trial is due to complete at the end of June 2006.

In a separate trial that started in December 2005, a similar approach is enabling trialists in the Charlton Down area of Dorchester, Dorset and the Kingswells area of Aberdeen to get broadband service. In these areas a cable technology, known as TPON, is currently used to deliver voice telephony. This technology does not allow the delivery of ADSL broadband direct from the exchange. The deployment of equipment in street locations during the trial is being investigated as a way of enabling customers in such locations to receive broadband. At Christmas 2005, the first 10 customers were connected to the equipment in Aberdeen, with another 10 planned for connection by mid January 2006 in Dorchester. All trial customers are receiving standard 2Mbit/s BT Yahoo broadband. Depending on the success of the connections at Dorchester, BT may increase the number of trialists to 40 and invite other service providers to participate.

Together these trials are allowing BT to better understand the ‘real world’ technical and commercial implications of access fibre.  We have proved that equivalent products and services offered today – and future services – can be delivered to customers over access fibre. Based on our interim findings, and third party trials elsewhere in the world, BT believes it is now reasonable to consider the targeted commercial deployment of access fibre to ensure that it continues to provide the services and experience its customers demand. BT will make these decisions whilst ensuring that it continues to meet its regulatory and service obligations.