And for free, as well, although existing customers need to sign a new contract
BT has been planning to double up the speeds of its fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) service for some time now, and April was always the target date for that increase to kick off.
Right on schedule, the company has announced that it's to double the speed of the lines of its BT Infinity 2 subscribers, starting today. Currently, those FTTC connections run at up to 38Mbps, and that's being doubled up to 76Mbps in terms of downloads. Upload speeds are to be boosted to up to 19Mbps.
Those on the Infinity 1 package will find their upload speeds (and upload only) super-charge fivefold, with an increase to 9.5Mbps as a theoretical maximum (previously, it was up to 1.9Mbps).
John Petter, managing director at BT Consumer, said: "Super-fast broadband is helping people enjoy the internet far more than ever before. However, many providers have forgotten about the importance of fast upload speeds. BT believes that fast upstream speeds are vital given how people now use the internet and so we are distancing ourselves from the competition by providing the UK's fastest upload speed. "
The good news is that this is a free upgrade, so both new and existing customers who are upgraded won't pay a penny extra. There is a slight catch for existing Infinity subscribers, though, namely that they'll be required to take out a new contract. So there is a price to be paid in terms commitment, if not in actual pounds.
BT has "fibred up" 7 million premises across the UK now, with a target of 10 million by the end of the year, and two-thirds of the entire country by 2014.
