BT passes 15 million broadband milestone with more than 5,000 new customers a day

BT has announced that that fifteen million homes and small businesses now access the online world via broadband supplied over the company’s network.

In a celebratory press release the telecoms giant has said that the milestone was passed during late August. More than five million of the connections were via BT Retail while the balance was made up from companies who benefit from equivalent access to the BT network.

Adding these statistics to figures from the other major network player, cable operator Virgin Media, a picture emerges of over nineteen million homes in the UK that are now connected to broadband. As a percentage that makes the usage of broadband here higher than the likes of the USA, France and Germany in terms of take up.

BT has calculated that it has added 14.8 million connections to the broadband network in just eight years up to the cut-off point late this month. It had only 200,000 in August of 2002, thereby equating to 5,000 new broadband connections a day. Which sounds like a lot.

Olivia Garfield, BT strategy director said: “Broadband Britain has been a success story with widespread availability, low prices and high take up. People were skeptical when BT backed broadband in 2002 but the figures speak for themselves with the vast majority of new customers choosing broadband over BT’s network rather than alternative ones where prices are far higher.

“The story doesn’t end here as BT is now investing a further £2.5 billion to roll out fibre broadband to two thirds of the UK. This will help the UK climb the league tables for speeds, one of the few areas in which we don’t lead the world”.