UK to finally get broadband access

Ewan writes "Oftel (the UK telecoms regulator) have today finally announced their plans for the roll out of DSL, including the fact that the entire country must be able to connect to the Internet using DSL by July 2001. While the document is not final yet (it's entering its final consultation period), it is available to be read in full at Oftel's website. " Wow. DSL for everyone.

Comments

No more per-minute charges

[Rayban]

I bet there will be a large number of people happy that they don't need to pay their per-minute charges on local calls, on top of what they pay their ISP, for Internet service. As well, having DSL available for the whole country should really bring the UK into the online community as a major player.

I don't pretend to understand the pricing for the local calls or television tax (license) in the UK, but I know I enjoy having both at least appear to be free.

As for hidden costs, maybe we're actually paying more? :)

Re:No more per-minute charges

[Durbs]

The 'copper wires', ie the Local Loop, which is currently owned by BT, won't be much longer. OFTEL has also decreed that the Local Loop is to be opened up for competition.

ADSL in Spain

[Amadawn]

Actually the UK is not the first European country to introuduce ADSL.Two or three months ago the Spanish government made a law forcing Telefonica (Our personal phone monopolistic company) to deploy ADSL befor 2001 (if I am not mistaken). This will be a 'low-end' ADSL (like the UK's), with a max. bitrate of 256 Kpbs in the downlink and 128 Kbps in the Uplink, but it's much better that todays modems! Also the prize will be arround 5000 pesetas (32.5 US$)).
What we don't know is how the hell will ISPs be able to serve 256 Kpbps to everybody, nor which prizes will the charge us... It would be really fustrating to have such a bandwidth available and not being able to use it! :-(
Anyway I feel this is a very necessary thing, if we want everybody to have a nice access to the Internet.

You can check a small story about the Spanish ADSL deployment
here

That isn't quite right

[Fishy]

That story isn't quite right, OFTEL said that BT must open the local loop lines for other telcos to access by that date, not that access must be available to all areas by that date.

"We propose ...... with a view to enabling access to BT's local loops by July 2001"

Before that date BT still can roll out ADSL lines, and it's likley it will do this very fast so it can make maximum profit BEFORE the other telcos can come in and compete.

My guess is a rollout plan from BT will appear within the month.

Steve

Nice idea, but not impressed

[Tony Hoyle]

BT is legendary for overcharging for stuff like this. The cost of a 64K leased line is something like £6000 per year... I doubt that something offering 128K will be any less. Still out of reach of anyone but medium-large business.

BTs pricing structure is crippling the use of the internet in the UK. Oftel always make these documents ambiguous enough to get away with it too (This one does too - it allows BT to add an arbitrary amount to the cost for 'overheads').

No,NOT rollout by 2001: rural users betrayed again

[evilandi]

The document says that local loop ADSL competition and radio spectrum broadband access will start in 2001, NOT be rolled out nationwide by 2001.

In fact, it's even worse than that. Paragraph 5.2 says that Oftel will rely on competition to drive high bandwidth services into rural areas. Whilst this worked very nicely for GSM digital mobile phones, just see what happened to cable TV- virtually unknown outside towns (just try doing TCP/IP on a satellite dish- very expensive and useless for uploading- and that's presuming you don't live in an area when dishes are banned, as they are in so many rural areas!).

Plus, there is no recommendation that BT should be mandated to supply even their existing medium bandwidth services such as Home Highway ISDN to rural users (not available more than 2 miles from the exchange- I live only 500 metres from the exchange but the copper wire takes a 3 mile detour!)

In short, rural areas have yet again been sold down the river. What annoys me is that it is rural residents that need this bandwidth the most. Oftel is a regulatory body and should be looking after needs, not profit. Why would townsfolk want cable TV, teleshopping, multi-user chatlines and home offices when the video shop, supermarket, pub and place of work are on their doorstep? These amenities are often not available to rural users where not only remote location, but sheer lack of numbers, make even subsidised facilities uneconomic.

The official consultation period has ended, but once you have read the document you can still send your opinions to:

Ms Sally Trebble,
Consultation on Access to Bandwidth,
OFTEL,
50, Ludgate Hill,
London.
EC4M 7JJ
or email netcomp.oftel@gtnet.gov.uk
or fax 0171 634 8924

--