BT's Northern Ireland broadband plans welcomed
Posted 6th January 2010 at 12:32pm by Kimberley Howson
BT's new plans to launch fibre-optic broadband services across Northern Ireland have been welcomed by a minister.
Arlene Foster, the country's enterprise minister, has stated that the proposals to offer improved connection speeds to households by the end of the summer highlights "very welcome investment".
Speeds of up to 40Mb will be made available to homes served by the 167 exchanges which will offer super-fast broadband in the country by the end of the upgrades.
Ms Foster has claimed Northern Ireland "must keep pace" with the world of modern telecommunications.
She added: "When the next-generation broadband project has been completed, few, if any, parts of the British Isles will have anywhere near the amount of fibre that will be deployed in Northern Ireland by 2011."
Earlier this week, Dorset County Council confirmed it is urging businesses to back plans that would see BT fibre-optic broadband technology installed permanently in the region.
3 comments
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Colin, 10th January 2010.
Its about time. I lived in liverpool for a short while and when i came home i was very unimpressed with the poor speeds in Northern Ireland.
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I now live in bangor, approx 1 mile from the exchange, and can still only get 2mb no matter how much i pay for. Hopefully BT will be covering the bangor exchange. -
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Mickey, 22nd January 2010.
well Colin, i think you will be pleased to know that the whole country will get it, but Bangor will actually be one of the first. So keep your eyes out for that.
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3
Bob, 27th January 2010.
Actually i think the article is a little misleading, as it says upgrades by the end of the summer 2010 which i find doubtful for BT.
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Also northern ireland has 191 exchanges so why list 166 for upgrades? i hope im not one of those who are missed out on!!