Press release -

G.fast broadband bringing ultrafast speeds to Antrim

8TH February 2018: BT has announced that households and businesses in Antrim can now ask their internet service providers to switch to G.fast and benefit from ultrafast internet speeds of up to 330 Mbps - more than 10 times the UK national average.

BT’s Northern Ireland Networks division has made G.fast available to over 4000 premises in Antrim Town as part of a pilot project announced last year. By using existing copper wires, this hybrid fibre broadband technology involves minimal disruption and provides a basis for many new services with considerable economic benefits.

Garret Kavanagh, Acting Managing Director of NI Networks at BT, said:“This is great news for Antrim, pushing it to the forefront of the roll out of ultrafast broadband in Northern Ireland - thanks to this G.fast pilot project.

“G.fast is new technology, designed for areas of high population density,that delivers ultrafast speeds over existing copper lines.This means we can add it to our existing network, which means faster internet with less disruption.

“Faster speeds are more important than ever – both at work and at home.G.fast is part of the next stage of the ongoing transformation of our digital infrastructure, which is so important for our economy.”

As part of BT’s plan to drive forward the digital economy of Northern Ireland, last November the company announced a further £20m investment in a major ultrafast broadband expansion across NI that is scheduled to be completed in 2019. This will result in 25 per cent of Northern Ireland homes and businesses having access to ultrafast broadband, using either G.fast or Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) technology, which is a pure fibre connection from exchange to end user.

To discover more about G.fast and broadband availability in your area, contact your internet service provider or visit www.nibroadband.com/get-ultrafast.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

G.fast uses Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) technology with the addition of extension pods to fibre street cabinets, which use existing copper lines to reach the customer’s property.By contrast, Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) is a pure fibre connection, which involves the provision of a fibre optic cable from the telephone exchange to the end user and can deliver speeds of up to 1Gbps – fast enough to download a two-hour movie in twenty seconds.

Ultrafast broadband services are defined as offering download speeds of 100Mbps and above.

Superfast broadband services are defined as delivering download speeds of greater than 24 Mbps.

Photograph caption:

BT’s Northern Ireland Networks division has announced that, from the start of this month, householders and business owners in Antrim can now ask their internet service providers to switch to G.fast and benefit from internet speeds of up to 330 Mbps - more than 10 times the UK national average. Pictured at one of the new G.fast-enabled cabinets in Antrim, is Garret Kavanagh, Acting Managing Director of NI Networks, with Network Fibre Planners Joe Lowe and Scott MacDonald.

For further information please contact: Rosy Billingham, PR Manager for BT in Northern Ireland at rosy.billingham@bt.com / 07968 904635

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