BT extends fibre broadband to 40,000 Derry properties

BT's fibre optic broadband infrastructure has been deployed to just under 40,000 homes and businesses in the Northern Irish city of Derry.

According to BBC News, the telecoms giant has completed its next-generation access deployment in Derry, making it the first city in the UK in which every street cabinet has been upgraded to support super-fast speeds.

The company's chief executive in Northern Ireland Colm O'Neill explained the "vast majority" of properties in Derry will be able to access the service, although some households have not been connected due to technical constraints.

He added BT's fibre broadband packages will cost around 30 per cent more than its standard deals.

"It is a more expensive product than your standard broadband product but for that, you would potentially get a ten to 50 times increase in speed," Mr O'Neill added.

The development comes just days before BT is due to unveil the commercial launch of its up to 110Mbps fibre-to-the-home service at six English exchanges.