BIOS: Technology Means Business

Super-fast broadband has finally hit the UK. First announced at the start of September, the 22Mbit/s connection will be immediately available nationwide to as many as 4.4m homes (18 per cent of the population). UK Online says it hopes to expand this coverage to 5.8m within the next 12 months.

Strictly speaking, UK Online wasn't the first. Be, one of the UK's newest broadband provider, made history in September as it invited Londoners to pilot its new 24Mbit/s broadband service.

In addition to experiencing speeds of up to 24Mbit/s downstream and 1Mbit/s upstream - the fastest in the UK - pilot members had to pay nothing until October. Other Internet providers, including BT, Wanadoo and Bulldog, are currently testing ADSL2+ technology.

ADSL2+ is an ITU (International Telecommunication Union) standard that extends the capability of basic ADSL by doubling the number of downstream bits. The data rates can, in the best situation, be as high as 24Mbit/s downstream and 1Mbit/s upstream. However, the actual speeds you'll get depends on the distance from the DSLAM to your home or office.

Chris Stening, General Manager at UK Online, commented, 'After extensive testing on our network, and customer trials, we are delighted to be launching the first ADSL2+-based broadband available nationally. While some customers will get 22Mbit/s or even more, up to 24Mbit/s, the quality of their phone line and distance from the exchange will dictate their maximum speed. Which is why we give customers a pragmatic estimate of the speed their line will support before they sign up.'

For many, including UK Online, the service is offered via local loop unbundling. This is a process whereby other operators put equipment in BT's exchanges. Local loop unbundling is offered by several companies, including EasyNet and Bulldog. ADSL2+ is also highly dependent on line quality and distance from telephone exchange. Some experts say many households will only get speeds of 8Mbit/s, especially if you live 2 kilometres or more from the exchange.

The service is available immediately for £29.99 (inc. VAT) per month. On top of this, you have to pay a one-off £25 connection charge and buy an obligatory ADSL2+ wireless router for £79.99 (inc. VAT). Current ADSL routers don't support the new standard.