BT Tops Four Million Broadband Internet Subscribers

Telecom News Editorials Reports Glossary

12:45 am on September 5, 2007 | Category: Business, Telecom Services, Internet

UK telecom incumbent, BT, now has more than four million broadband accounts, confirming its position as Britain’s leading internet service provider.

The company had just 172,000 high-speed internet subscribers when it first unveiled a nationwide broadband strategy in June 2002.

“Four million customers is a great achievement in such a short time,” commented the CEO of BT Retail, Ian Livingston. “Broadband has proved to be one of the most popular services ever seen.”

BT’s telecom infrastructure actually supports 11.5 million of the UK’s 15 million broadband connections, but many of these subscribers deal with other broadband providers, due to local loop unbundling regulations forcing BT to open its telephone network to rival carriers.

More than 50% of British households now have broadband connections, according to the country’s telecom regulator, Ofcom.