Do we need so many high-speed services?
I was a Virgin Media customer for years, but when it became too expensive I had a look around to see what else was available. I considered a company called 6G Internet, but in the end went with Plusnet. It was installed without problems, and I now get a rock-steady 76Mbps broadband speed.
We’ve had more people locally working on BT’S telephone poles. I assumed that it was Openreach again, but no – it was a company called Brsk. They were installing their own gigabit network, so no doubt they’ll soon be after my business. People living on the outer edges of town can sign up to Wave Internet, which uses long-range microwave links to provide highspeed internet, primarily to rural areas.
Then of course we have 4G and 5G home internet provided by various mobile-phone companies. And let’s not forget satellite broadband provided by Elon Musk’s Starlink.
So by my estimate there’s around a dozen different technologies (not just companies) that are trying to provide me with high-speed broadband. I would describe myself as a fairly heavy internet user and yet I’m more than happy with 76Mbps. Is all this spending on building completely different networks and technologies really necessary?
Michael Albin
It’s all very well for Openreach to congratulate itself on making full-fibre broadband available to 10 million households (Issue 655, page 8), but the sceptical part of me wonders how long it will take for all those homes to actually sign up to faster speeds. I wouldn’t be surprised if in 10 years a quarter of homes are still shunning full-fibre because it remains too expensive.
When I retired last year I downgraded from 300Mbps to 100Mbps, saving £15 a month. I’ve not noticed the difference one bit. Even when I’m streaming Netflix in the conservatory and my better half is watching Amazon Prime in the lounge, the connection is flawless. I can’t think of a single scenario where I’d need to return to 300Mbps, let alone upgrade to supersonic Gigabit.
Simon Montague
Reaching 10 million homes is a significant milestone, but Simon is right that persuading households to upgrade will prove tough. Recent figures from Ofcom show that while 12.4 million homes can now get a full-fibre connection (including services from Virgin and smaller companies), only a quarter have signed up to one.
Three things need to happen to encourage more people to upgrade: prices will have to fall, new technologies will need to be introduced to make the most of faster speeds, and providers will have to improve their marketing efforts. Many customers remain unconvinced, though we expect a surge towards the end of 2025 ahead of the copper switch-off.