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BROADBAND IS AN EASY-TO-INSTALL, ALWAYS ON INTERNET CONNECTION THAT GIVES YOU HIGH SPEED ACCESS AND DOWNLOADS FOR A FIXED MONTHLY CHARGE
Broadband is the common term for a high bandwidth internet connection – one that can transmit or download information up to 40 times as fast as a standard telephone and modem. You can do everything you need to do online more quickly and more easily with broadband.

 
HOW IS BROADBAND DELIVERED?
Broadband services can be delivered in different ways – over an ordinary telephone line or private network, via a cable connection or across mobile and wireless networks. BT offers ADSL broadband services over a customer’s existing BT telephone line, separating voice and data signals so you can continue to make calls when you are online.

 

Ø       Instant access saves you time and hassle dialing-up and logging on when you want to be online

Ø       You’re always in touch with your email and messaging – friends, relatives, work mates, customers and suppliers are just a moment and a click away

Ø       Surfing the net becomes a pleasure as even complex and graphics-rich sites download virtually instantly

Ø       You can download songs and animations in seconds not minutes and video clips in minutes not hours

Ø       Play interactive games at top speed against gamers around the globe

Ø       Receive internet radio and other real time services without interruption

Ø      Work from home with high speed access to corporate networks

ALWAYS ON, ALWAYS AVAILABLE

Ø       Broadband ends the dull routine of dial-up connection and having to repeat the process every time the connection goes down.

Ø       ADSL Broadband splits your existing phone line so you can make and take calls as normal even when you are online – no more infuriating engaged tones for your friends and family.

Ø       With broadband, when you’re switched on, you’re always online, with virtually instant access to any information or service.

HIGH SPEED ACCESS, HIGH SPEED DOWNLOADS

Ø       Bring an end to the world wide wait for even the simplest website to appear - with downloads at up to 10 times the speed you can get via a standard telephone and modem, surfing the net becomes fun not frustrating.

Ø       Download music faster than you can play it. Finding, checking out and downloading animations, graphics and video, and movie, news and sports clips is quicker and easier.

CONTROLLABLE COSTS, FIXED MONTHLY CHARGES

Ø       Fixed monthly charges are the norm with broadband services so there is no extra to pay no matter how often you use it.

Ø       Because ADSL broadband splits your existing telephone line, you don’t need a second line to make and take voice calls as normal even when you are online.

SIMPLE INSTALLATION

Straightforward self-install connections for broadband in the home now come as standard from many service providers so you don’t waste time hanging around waiting for an engineer’s visit.

WORKING FROM HOME

Fast, direct access to your corporate networks and files as easily as if you were in the office. And as you can be online and on the phone at the same time, you can use videoconferencing to play a full part on projects and in meetings.

Service providers offer a wide range of broadband services for the home including:

Ø       Email and instant messaging

Ø       Educational materials and research resources

Ø       School study and homework support

Ø       Online software downloads and updates

Ø       Computer games and interactive gaming

Ø       Movies and TV on demand

Ø       Internet radio and webcast concerts

Ø       Music downloads and movie sites

Ø       News, travel and leisure information

Ø       Online shopping and browsing

Ø       Share dealing and personal banking

Ø       Personal websites and online magazines

INTRODUCTION (How to register)
The registration scheme launched in July 2002 replaced the previous rollout programme for enabling exchanges for broadband technology. BT Wholesale now asks users to sign up via a service provider and, once a preset trigger level is reached, the exchange will be enabled for broadband. Signing up does not involve using a credit card or making a payment. It is important to note that sophisticated checks are done on registrations to ensure that there is real customer demand.

WHAT ARE TRIGGER LEVELS?
The trigger levels relate to the costs of enabling a specific exchange. Each exchange area has individual characteristics that affect the cost and economics of upgrading it for broadband. The trigger level is calculated on the overall cost to upgrade the exchange. A detailed model has been built that allows BT to calculate how many users will be needed on each individual exchange to make a suitable return on the investment. The costs relate to several elements and include, for example, installing the broadband equipment in the exchange and connecting the backhaul circuits that connect the exchange to the core network that provides broadband service. Backhaul is potentially the most expensive factor. These varying costs lead to different trigger levels - from 200 to 750 - at each exchange. BT is exploring ways to reduce delivery costs to try and reduce some of the higher trigger levels. BT also wants to set trigger levels at exchanges without one but only exchanges that are potentially commercially viable can have a trigger level. As BT reduces costs, more exchanges become potentially viable.

HOW ARE TRIGGER LEVELS SET?
BT will build broadband in exchanges where there is sufficient demand to justify the investment. With this in mind, we have analysed carefully the number of people we need to have signed up for broadband at each exchange. Considerations like the expected rise in customers after the upgrading of the exchange are part of the calculations we make before we decide on a trigger level. When we set a trigger level of, for example, 400, we actually need 800 customers to make a return on our investment.

Many trigger levels have recently been reduced, and further exchanges have had trigger levels set. The cost reductions allowing this are mainly related to the engineering of the backhaul. BT is still working on cost analyses for the remaining exchanges that have not been reviewed so far and these will be based on the new cost calculations. And BT Wholesale is investigating ways of further reducing trigger levels or setting them where until now it would not have been viable.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A TRIGGER LEVEL IS REACHED?
Once a trigger level is reached for an exchange, BT will check to ensure all the registrations are bona fide. The exchange will than be added to the build list to be enabled for broadband. It is usually ready to offer broadband services within approximately ten weeks. When dates are announced, they will be published on the website.


EXCHANGES WITHOUT TRIGGER LEVELS
When an exchange without a trigger level reaches a significant number of registrations, BT will carry out a cost analysis. This does not guarantee that a trigger level will be published as in some cases the cost analysis will still show that it is not currently viable to provide broadband at this exchange.

BT is doing everything possible to bring broadband to everyone that wants it but must do this in a way that makes commercial sense. BT must weigh up the cost of taking broadband to an area against the number of customers likely to buy broadband services in that area. Where an exchange shows low demand it is likely that the evaluation will cover whether other broadband technologies - including wireless or satellite broadband or exchange equipment suited to the needs of small communities - might be more effective.