KC forecasts two-tier fibre broadband deployments

KC's consumer services director Nick Thompson has predicted the emergence of a 'two-tier deployment' strategy for fibre optic broadband in 2012.

Mr Thompson pointed out the UK's major internet service providers are using a mix of fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) and fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) technology in their rollout programmes.

This means the speeds available to communities included in fibre broadband deployment programmes may differ from place to place, depending on the telecoms firm that has carried out the work.

While FTTH offers a substantial improvement over ADSL broadband services, the same cannot necessarily be said of FTTC due to its reliance on copper cables.

"With FTTC deployment, those who live over 1.5km away from their closest exchange may see little improvement to their download speeds," Mr Thompson explained.

KC's own fibre optic broadband strategy is set to deliver download capabilities of up to 100Mbps to 15,000 homes and businesses across Hull and east Yorkshire by the end of the year.