BT connects Sainsbury's stores and depots to next-gen broadband

BT has secured a deal with Sainsbury's that will see it connect all the supermarket giant's stores and depots to its next-generation network, which includes fibre broadband connectivity.

The telecoms giant announced 1,000 shops and 23 depots will be hooked up to its next-generation broadband infrastructure by December 2012 in a move designed to boost in-store productivity.

It will allow the grocer's various properties to share more data in real time as network capacity will see an up to fourfold increase, BT explained.

In the 11 weeks since it began connecting Sainsbury's to its next-generation broadband service, BT has already completed work at more than 230 stores.

Rob Fraser, IT director at Sainsbury's, commented: "This significant investment drives greater efficiency and productivity now, but is also a key enabler for our ambitious growth plans."

The announcement comes in the same week that BT revealed it is set to extend its fibre optic broadband coverage further by upgrading 178 more exchanges, most of which will be enabled throughout next year.