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Forward thinking UK telco British Telecom will be investing $3 billion in new fiber networks to bring 100 Mbps internet connections to the country. Instead of whining, capping bandwidth and degrading other company's services like US operators, BT seems to realize that being the provider of the pipes is not so bad after all: BT will be offering the fiber network to other providers at wholesale prices to "ensure the broadband market remains competitive".
These wholesale buyers will be able to install their own fiber networks in BT's "cabinets", the way-point between the main network and the last mile, just as they have done with copper. Not everybody will be getting these super high speeds, however. 100Mbps will only come with "fiber to the curb" connections. But even with the "fiber to the cabinet" connections, users will get up to 60Mbps.
In a startlingly customer friendly statement, BT boss Ian Livingston said that "Broadband has boosted the UK economy and is now an essential part of our customers' lives. Our aim is that urban and rural areas alike will benefit from our investment".
The aim is to have this network running to around 10 million homes by 2012. Granted, Britain is a lot smaller than the US, but still, come on Comcast. Come on AT&T. Stop gipping your customers and spend some money already.
