UK Broadband | Mobile Broadband

The latest monthly broadband speed test results from Broadband.co.uk once again see Virgin Media topping the broadband speeds list.

The broadband speed test results are collected from the broadband speed tests performed in January 2010.

Below are the average broadband speeds recorded for 10 of the UK’s broadband providers.

Virgin Media – 7.651Mb
O2 ( Be Broadband ) – 5.113Mb
TalkTalk – 3.628Mb
Sky Broadband – 3.336Mb
Eclipse Internet – 3.106Mb
Orange – 3.055Mb
BT – 2.982Mb
Tiscali – 2.788Mb
PlusNet – 2.732Mb
AOL – 2.131Mb

It is little surprise to see Virgin Media still placed up at the top, with their fibre optic broadband network they are able to offer much faster broadband speeds, with their headline deal offering up to 50Mb broadband.

We envisage that we will start to see other broadband speeds to increase for other broadband providers who use the BT Wholesale network as BT have started the roll out of BT Infinity, their own fibre broadband network.

The average broadband speed achieved across the broadband providers tested was 4.275Mb, this is in fact a 0.2Mb broadband speed decrease on the December 2009 speed test results.

A deal between BT and O2 has been agreed that will see O2’s networks made more efficient in a 5 year deal.

What the partnership will entail is consolidating O2’s networks such as it’s mobile networks and fixed line networks on to BT’s 21CN. The deal and work will be done between O2 and BT Wholesale and is aimed at hopefully improving O2 customers with their next generation services.

With the huge increase in mobile data usage from mobile phones and mobile broadband O2 will be able to better cope with these demands with this new partnership.

The head of networks at Telefonica O2 said:

“As we move to an all internet-protocol world and as data traffic volumes increase, the consolidation of our fixed and mobile core networks is a common sense approach that will help future-proof our business and provide the best possible service for our customers.”

O2 are set to launch their own home phone service in March which will mean that O2 will be able to create even more broadband, mobile and house phone bundles.

BT Business broadband customers who take up their new fibre broadband connections will receive a minimum 12Mb broadband speed guarantee from their up to 40Mb broadband speed connection.

For any customers who find that their business broadband speed drops below the 12Mb speed limit these customers can contact the BT 24/7 freephone help-desk where the problem will look to be fixed.

The BT Business Fibre broadband was announced very soon after the BT Infinity (BT’s home fibre broadband) was announced. This is to be made available to around 10 million UK homes by 2012.

BT Business Total Broadband Fibre starts at £30 (ex.VAT) per month. You can read more about that at BT Business Total Broadband Fibre.

With the BT Infinity fibre broadband service launching this week it is no surprise that BT are trying to make claims about their service being better than Virgin Medias and Virgin Media making claims that their service is better than BTs fibre broadband.

Virgin Media have been the UK’s fibre optic cable broadband supplier and have been the only ones able to push this service, that is until this week when BT officially launched BT Infinity which is their own fibre broadband service.

Virgin are not happy with claims from BT that choosing the BT Infinity service could save customer up to £7 per month compared to a Virgin Media fibre broadband service.
Virgin Media have hit back saying that BT’s claims are not strictly true as they are comparing services which are not the same.
The Virgin XXL service that BT was comparing against offers broadband speeds up to 50MB and has Unlimited usage where as the BT service offers up to 40Mb and has a 20GB download limit. Another point is that BT Infinity customers would need to take a phone line out with BT where as no phone line is required with the Virgin Media service.

A Virgin Media spokesperson said:

“We’re not sure why people in the UK would want to wait for BT’s 40Mbps service which hasn’t launched yet, when they can already get Virgin Media’s great value 50Mbps service”

Hot on the heels of the announcement of BT Infinity, the home fibre broadband offering from BT comes BT Business Total Broadband Fibre.

The BT Total Broadband Fibre is specifically aimed at business broadband users, it offers up to 40Mb broadband speeds and up to 10Mb upload speeds depending on which option you choose with prices starting at just £30 per month.

The “Fibre broadband” packages offers up to 40Mb downloads speeds and up to 2Mb upload speeds with unlimited usage (fair use policy applies) for £30 (ex.VAT) per month.

The “Fibre broadband Plus” service offers up to 40Mb download speeds and up to 10Mb upload speeds with unlimited usage (fair use policy applies) and also offers a priority fault resolution for £45 (ex.VAT) per month.
Both these also come with a £75 one off charge and are based on 24 month contracts. For anyone who wants a 12 month contract the price is an extra £5 per month.

There is also “Fibre broadband & phone line” deal coming soon which will offer a choice of either of the two previously mentioned fibre broadband deals plus a new business phone line and this will cost £44.45 (ex.VAT) per month and also a £174 one off charge.