» Largest UK fibre-optic broadband network on schedule

Demand for leased lines may suffer as super-fast broadband becomes more widespread

BT recently announced that their super-fast, fibre-optic broadband network will be ready in time for the 2012 Olympic Games, ahead of its March 2013 deadline.

The scheme will see around 10 million people benefit from broadband speeds of up to 100 megabits per second (Mbps), meaning demand for current alternatives to normal broadband, such as leased lines, may fall.

Leased lines offer one of the only ways of guaranteeing a fast, reliable internet connection and while the new fibre-optic network will not be able to guarantee constant speeds, as leased lines do, it will be a significant draw to those looking for fast connections speeds at reasonable price points.

The British government has said that it wants 90% of the country to have access to super fast broadband by the end of 2017, which would see a significant shift from the current climate of hugely variable speeds which prompts many people to seek innovative ways of achieving high speed connections, such as leased lines.

Leased lines offer businesses and individuals dedicated connections with guaranteed upload and download speeds and they have traditionally been used by people wanting a fast, reliable internet connection.

BT's rival Virgin Media already offers a fibre-optic broadband connection to some areas of the UK, with speeds of up to 50Mbps, but the network has not proved far reaching or reliable enough to have a significant impact on alternatives such as leased lines.

The news that BT are ahead of schedule and due to fulfil their promise of super-fast broadband to 90% of the country, however, may have a significant impact on the leased line market over the next few years.