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