Broadband News

BT connects its 15 millionth customer

Wednesday, 01 September 2010

By Garnet Roach garnet@consumerchoices.co.uk

The drive to get the UK online has hit a new milestone as BT broadband (www.BT.com) connects its 15 millionth customer.

More than five million of these customers are signed up to one of BT’s own broadband packages, while the rest use BT’s wholesale copper wire network via providers like Plusnet broadband (www.Plus.net) or Orange broadband (www.Orange.co.uk).

Cable supplier Virgin Media (www.Virginmedia.com) also provides broadband to some 4.2 million customers across the country.

BT said that it had been connecting more than 5,000 customers a day since 2002. Market competition has helped to keep prices low, making broadband affordable for more people.

Olivia Garfield, BT strategy director, said: “Broadband Britain has been a success story with widespread availability, low prices and high take up. People were sceptical 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”.

More than 19 million UK homes and businesses now have broadband access - the equivalent of 71% of households, according to an Ofcom report last month. This puts the UK ahead of France, Germany and the USA when it comes to broadband take-up.