BT super-fast broadband set to eclipse Virgin at 110Mb - then 300Mb in 2012

BT has finally stepped back into the ring with Virgin Media after being pummelled on speed for the past few years. 

Its 110Mb fibre to the premises (FTTP) service was announced yesterday, which will take it just ahead of its cable rival as the fastest home broadband provider in the UK.

Unfortunately the service, which will soon go live in the Welsh exchange at Saltney, Flintshire, will only then initially be rolled out to five other locations: South Chester, Ashford (Middlesex), Milton Keynes, St Austell and, of course, North London.

BT also announced that this technology will be improved to offer speeds of up to 300Mb by as early as next spring. However, if recent BT progress around the country is anything to go by, the rest of us shouldn’t hold our collective breaths.

In good news for customers already receiving BT Infinity fibre broadband elsewhere in the country, the third part of the announcement revealed speeds should roughly double from 40Mb to 80Mb, although no time line was given.

It also reiterated the news that BT would be spending £2.5 billion between now and 2015 to make its fibre broadband service available to two-thirds of the UK.

Communications Minister Ed Vaizey said: “These are significant announcements and good news for the UK. High-speed broadband is essential for economic growth, which is why we want the UK to have the best superfast broadband in Europe by 2015.

“Improving the UK’s broadband infrastructure will help our high-tech, digital industries grow. It will ensure the UK is an attractive place to start-up and base the businesses of tomorrow.”