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BT Cranks up Broadband Speeds for Thousands of Small Businesses in Wales

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BT has announced the launch of a new product that will boost fixed broadband speeds for thousands of small businesses in Wales which are yet to be upgraded to fibre broadband. 

BT’s Hybrid Speed Boost product is the first in the UK to combine a copper broadband line with EE’s leading 4G network to provide an automatic uplift in speeds, by bonding connections from broadband and mobile networks together.

Businesses can benefit from an average download speed boost of 20Mbps, more than twice the average download speed for copper broadband connections. Average upload speeds can be uplifted to 10Mbps which is ten times the average upload speed for copper lines.

Hybrid Speed Boost is included at no extra cost for new BT business broadband customers taking ADSL (copper cable) broadband plans. Existing customers can also benefit when they renew their plan.

BT’s Enterprise business is launching the new product as an interim solution for small firms in those parts of Wales that are yet to be upgraded to fibre broadband, as BT Group continues to extend its full fibre network across the country.

According to Ofcom’s 2021 Connected Nations report, around 11% of SMEs in Wales could benefit from this new solution, rising to 30% of SMEs in rural areas. BT Group is aiming to reach 25 million UK homes and businesses with full fibre by the end of 2026, working with its infrastructure partner Openreach, which and has already reached more than 425,000 homes and businesses across Wales. Openreach announced recently that it would create and fill around 250 additional jobs throughout Wales during 2022 as it continues to invest billions of pounds into its UK broadband network, people and training.

Chris Sims, BT’s MD for its SoHo (Single/Small Office, Home Office) unit, said:

“Using cutting-edge technology, we’re launching the first product in the UK to fuse fixed and mobile connections together to bring faster speeds to small firms which might be struggling on slower copper lines. While the Openreach full fibre network is expanding at pace across Wales, week on week, we understand the frustration of small firms who risk being stuck behind as they wait to hear when ultrafast full fibre broadband will come to them.

“Fast, reliable broadband is vital for the smooth, day to day running of a business, so we’ve taken action today to boost speeds for business taking copper broadband, at no extra cost. Hybrid Speed Boost could revolutionise operations for small businesses that may currently be struggling with the required bandwidth to process large files, access cloud services or use HD video.”

The launch of BT’s new Hybrid Speed Boost product sees BT deliver on its first commitment contained within its recently announced Enterprise Customer Charter. The new charter is made up of a range of new initiatives from BT aimed at boosting the growth of UK businesses and the public sector and includes a pledge to develop inclusive tech to assist those small businesses which are struggling on slower, copper lines.

BT is also introducing a new ‘no-frills’ fibre broadband package – Fibre 38 – for cost-conscious small firms in fibre enabled areas.

Business News Wales