BT Tower in London. Image: Zefart/Shutterstock
BT ultrafast quad-play broadband plan could be a game-changer for the UK’s broadband fortunes.
The UK’s incumbent operator, BT, is to combine its fibre, Wi-Fi and EE 4G services under one converged quad-play platform called BT Plus.
The move comes just a week after the operator revealed a major restructuring plan.
It emerged today (17 May) that BT’s consumer business unit will create a single, converged smart network that combines mobile, broadband and Wi-Fi.
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The new network, which will be the first of its kind in the UK, is scheduled to be completed in 2022.
It will make ultrafast broadband speeds of 314Mbps a reality. Users of the EE mobile network will see ultrafast broadband speeds of at least 100Mbps from this summer.
BT is also boosting the power of its public Wi-Fi service, which is the UK’s largest public Wi-Fi estate, with more than 12,000 premium hotspots dotted across the country.
Under the converged plan, if the home broadband service goes down for any reason, BT said it will offer unlimited mobile data via a 4G Wi-Fi mini-hub.
“BT runs the UK’s most advanced mobile and broadband networks, but our customers demand better connections and the best service, no matter where they are,” said the CEO of BT’s consumer group, Marc Allera.
“We’re investing across BT, EE and Plusnet so that we can provide our customers with the widest choice of products and services, on the best networks, and with the best service in the UK.
“We’re beginning our journey to create one converged, smart network built on our world-leading fixed and mobile networks – going beyond 4G, 5G, Wi-Fi and ultrafast broadband to seamlessly connect our customers wherever they are to the things that matter most to them,” Allera added.
