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| Rutland Telecom Launches UK's Fastest Rural Broadband Rural Internet Services Provider Rutland Telecom has launched the UK's fastest rural broadband in Lyddington, Rutland. Using Zhone Technologies VDSL2 line cards to create a 40Mbps service, averaging at 25Mbps (the UK average is around 3.2Mbps), this is the first time the residents of a rural village will be able to watch streaming HD TV, BBC iPlayer and other digital online services, rivaling urban broadband provision using telephone lines. This service means rural communities can now set up high speed broadband through a sustainable self-financing programme, which exploits telecoms legislation and allows smaller companies to use stretches of the BT copper wire network to supply an ultra-fast broadband to individuals and businesses. Lyddington's village broadband is a significant milestone in UK telecoms history with villagers being transferred from a BT to a Rutland Telecom owned street cabinet resulting in voice and data services delivered from what is effectively a new village mini-telephone exchange. Rutland Telecom's project in Lyddington has set a precedent across the UK that demonstrates it is possible for rural areas with demand for high upload and download speeds to have it delivered from street cabinets by smaller operators with community support, and for this to be financially viable and economically sustainable. The small community in Lyddington (200 premises) raised £37,000 for Rutland Telecom to deliver the UK's first ever broadband service from a street cabinet using a process called subloop unbundling. The funding works by individual investors getting an annual 10% gross return for three years after which time their capital is fully refunded. This allows for the infrastructure (fibre optic cable) to be installed and general set up costs accounted for. write your comments about the article :: © 2010 Computing News :: home page |