BT to test 1 Gbps FTTH, plans to expand fiber network into 40 new markets

BT (NYSE: BT) is once again testing the boundaries of its Fiber to the X plans with plans to trial 1 Gbps Fiber to the Premises (FTTP) broadband service Kesgrave, Suffolk.

BT fiber trialSet to begin early next year, BT said the purpose of the trial is to demonstrate its ability to deliver 1 Gbps downstream and 400 Mbps upstream of 400 Mbps to both residential and business customers.

Of course, the 1 Gbps service is at this point just a test, and it's unclear where and when it would become a commercially available offering.

Still, Olivia Garfield, BT's director of strategy, said that "it's important that we test the maximum speed capabilities of our fiber broadband product to ensure that it is fully future proofed."

In addition to testing 1 Gbps capabilities, BT plans to roll out its FTTX-based network to up to 40 rural towns as part of the next phase of its super-fast fiber broadband deployment plan.

Although BT remains committed to its £2.5 billion ($3.92 billion) FTTX spending plan to bring its fiber-based broadband network to two thirds of the UK by 2015, it could up the number of homes it could reach to 90 percent of the UK if it won a public grant from the government. The UK government announced this week that it would make £830 million ($1.3 billion) to fund broadband projects.

For more:
- see the release
- techradar.com has this article

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