New Data Services

BRITISH TELECOMMUNICATIONS PLC 29 July 1999 BT OUTLINES ROLL-OUT PLANS FOR HIGH SPEED DATA SERVICE New connections will transform the Internet experience and provide the platform for a new wave of multimedia-rich services BT today outlined roll-out plans for new high speed data services which will turn an ordinary telephone line into a high speed digital connection capable of carrying information at between 10 and 40 times the speed of a conventional modem. It will significantly enhance existing services such as the Internet, videoconferencing, online education and information services, enabling users to download information, images, video or graphics almost instantly. Getting information, education and entertainment on-line will soon become as quick and easy as flicking through a magazine or changing TV channels, thanks to the new flat-rate 'always on' high speed data connections for homes and businesses. The technology, technically known as asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL), will be the catalyst for a wealth of new services and products, the new information services of the future. These could include: * On-line shopping and electronic commerce * Interactive games with players in different locations * Teleworking * Videoconferencing and videophones * Education and distance learning ADSL is added to an existing telephone line by attaching advanced electronics to both ends: at the local exchange and at the office or home. The network is upgraded without the streets and pavements having to be dug up. Among the earliest parts of the UK to benefit will be London within the M25, Cardiff, Belfast, Coventry, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. Four hundred exchanges, covering almost six million households and businesses, will be upgraded by March, 2000. Sir Peter Bonfield, BT's chief executive, said: 'This roll-out plan is a major step towards making Britain a world leader in the information revolution. By committing to a large scale roll-out, BT will play a vital part in stimulating a competitive mass-market for consumers as well as businesses of all sizes. It will drive new information industries and services to the benefit of all. 'Our intention is to be at the heart of the information society in the UK.' These new services are part of BT's strategy to provide consumers and businesses with the facilities to enable them to operate effectively in the information age. In September, 1998, BT launched the Highway family of products bringing digital data connections to the mass market. In addition to its new high speed data services, the company has substantial shareholdings in BiB, whose Open interactive television service is scheduled for an autumn launch, and in BT Cellnet, which expects to introduce its high speed mobile data service, GPRS, early next year. BT intends to provide ADSL connections wholesale to a wide range of service providers and other operators, enabling them to develop combined packages of digital content and digital connections to their own customers. Corporate customers will be able to order high speed data services for installation in the homes of teleworkers, giving them access to the full facilities of corporate networks. Wholesale prices will be in a range from around £40 to £150 per month to service providers for each user they wish to connect. Retail prices, and the content of the services, will be determined by service providers. One of many advantages of BT's high speed data service is the 'always on' data connection which will give consumers convenient, fast access to their service provider.

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BT Group (BT.A)
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