| 21st Century Network is BT's next generation | | | | terms and some may say that BT's vision isn't |
| fibre optic network, which is an advanced | | | | moving quickly enough to a complete 'fibre to |
| communications network for the future. It | | | | the home' network. The company has already |
| will cost the company £10 Billion over the | | | | stated that it will accrue annual savings of |
| next few years to install a fibre optic | | | | £1 billion per annum when the transition |
| connection into every home across the | | | | is complete, but the promised savings are not |
| country, replacing the old copper wiring | | | | acting as a spur to accelerate rollout of the |
| phone system. | | | | network. |
| | | | |
| BT states that it is designed to empower the | | | | Is this money well spent? In 20th November |
| broadband user with control, choice and | | | | 2003, BT launched its 1Mbit/s Asymmetric |
| flexibility like never before, it will mean | | | | Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) broadband net |
| that there be will one unified network | | | | service. In the summer of 2003, Yahoo |
| carrying all voice and data communications. | | | | Broadband (Japan) received its 3 millionth |
| This is an upgrade on a massive scale, work | | | | broadband customer for services at 8 and |
| began in Cardiff in 2006, but the major work | | | | 12Mbit/s. We are now in 2007 and the UK is |
| will begin in January 2008 where BT will | | | | struggling to offer even 8Mbit/s to most of |
| begin to upgrade its network nationwide, | | | | broadband users, with most broadband |
| expecting to finish in 2011. | | | | providers showing advertising with the words |
| | | | "up to 8Mbit/s". |
| Although, there has been a lot of criticism | | | | |
| regarding the plans, mainly due to their | | | | It may be a bad comparison between the UK and |
| plans for high speed broadband services. | | | | Japan but it shows a clear indication of how |
| Their main plan for providing broadband | | | | far we are from achieving super fast |
| access is to upgrade to ADSL2+, this however, | | | | broadband access. |
| is already old technology and has a broadband | | | | |
| limit of up to 24Mbit/s and by the time this | | | | Is this 21st Century Network the limit in |
| upgrade is completed (2011), this technology | | | | which the UK broadband can go, or is BT |
| will be even more dated by then. | | | | playing it safe and not being adventurous |
| | | | enough? |
| The UK is already lagging behind in broadband | | | | |