SUPER-fast, fibre-based broadband is now available to homes and businesses in Penketh, Warrington.
More than 6,400 local householders and firms in Penketh are poised to join the high-speed revolution as engineers complete the local upgrades over the next few weeks.
In the Warrington area, Penketh follows Lymm and Stockton Heath in BT’s £2.5 billion roll-out of fibre-based broadband across the UK.
The aim is to make the technology available to about two-thirds of the country by 2015.
Fibre to street cabinet technology offers download speeds of up to 40Mbps, potentially rising to 60Mbps in the future, and upload capability of up to 10Mbps, potentially rising to 15Mbps. The super-fast speeds will power new business applications and more sophisticated home and entertainment services.
BT’s planned investment is one of the largest in the world that doesn’t rely on public sector funding and where the network is open to all service providers on an equal basis.
While BT estimates that the great majority of premises in upgraded areas will be able to access fibre-based broadband, it is likely a minority will not initially be able to receive services for a variety of technical and commercial reasons. BT’s local network business Openreach, which is deploying the technology, is actively looking at alternative solutions for these locations.
Mike Blackburn, BT’s regional director for the North West, said: “This is another exciting development in the region’s fast-moving broadband story. Households and businesses switching to super-fast broadband will soon be experiencing the internet as they have never experienced it before.
“The advent of BT fibre-based broadband in Penketh will support local jobs and the local economy and is a vital part of BT’s broadband plans for the North West.”
