Internet in the United Kingdom: Difference between revisions

[[Asymmetric digital subscriber line]] (ADSL) was introduced to the UK in trial stages in 1998 and a commercial product was launched in 2000. In the [[United Kingdom]], most [[telephone exchange|exchanges]], [[local loop]]s and [[backhaul (telecommunications)|backhauls]] are owned and managed by [[BT Wholesale]], who then [[wholesale]] connectivity via [[Internet service providers]], who generally provide the connectivity to the Internet, support, billing and value added services (such as web hosting and email). A customer typically expects a [[British telephone socket]] to connect their broadband modem to the broadband.

As of October 2021, BT operate 5630 exchanges<ref name=SKBTUKExchanges>{{cite web | url=http://www.samknows.com/broadband/statistics/regional | title=SamKnows – Regional Broadband Statistics | publisher=SamKnows | date=2012-10-16 | access-date=2012-10-16 | author=SamKnows}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2006/jun/15/guardianweeklytechnologysection.insideit | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=Broadband for all – not! | date=2006-06-15 | access-date=2010-05-05 | first=Andrew | last=Ferguson}}</ref> across the UK, with the vast majority being enabled for ADSL. Only a relative handfulhandful—under have100 of the smallest and most rural exchanges—had not been upgraded to support ADSL products – in fact it is under 100 of the smallest and most rural exchanges. Some exchanges, numberingfewer underthan 1000, havehad been upgraded to support [[Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line|SDSL]] products. However, these exchanges are often the larger exchanges based in major towns and cities, so they still cover a large proportion of the population. SDSL products are aimed more at business customers and are priced higher than ADSL services.

In 2005, another company, [[Be Un Limited|Be]], started offering speeds of up to 24&nbsp;Mbit/s downstream and 2.5&nbsp;Mbit/sec upstream using [[ITU G.992.5|ADSL2+]] with [[ITU G.992.5 Annex M|Annex M]], eventually from over 1,250 UK exchanges. Be were taken over by O2's parent company [[Telefónica Europe|Telefónica]] in 2007. On 1 March 2013 O2 Telefónica sold Be to Sky, who have nowwhich migrated O2 and Be customers onto the somewhat slower Sky network.

[[TalkTalk Group|TalkTalk]] offered customers ‘free’'free' broadband if they had a telephone package. [[Orange (UK)|Orange]] responded by offering ‘free’'free' broadband for some mobile customers. Many smaller ISPs now offer similar packages. [[Telefónica Europe|O2]] also entered the broadband market by taking over LLU provider [[Be Un Limited|Be]], while Sky ([[BSkyB]]) had already taken over LLU broadband provider [[Easynet]]. In July 2006, Sky announced 2 Mbit/s broadband to be available free to Sky TV customers and a higher speed connection at a lower price than most rivals.<ref>{{cite news |date=2006-04-09 |title=Phone firm 'plans free broadband' |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4893194.stm |access-date=2010-05-05 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>

The actual downstream data rate achieved on any given Max line is subject to the capabilities of the line. Depending on the stable ADSL synchronisation rate negotiated, BT's ‘20CN’'20CN' system applied a fixed rate limit from one of the following data rates: 160&nbsp;kbit/s, 250, 500, 750 kbit/s, 1.0 Mbit/s, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 2.0 Mbit/s, then in 500&nbsp;kbit/s steps up to 7.0&nbsp;Mbit/s, then a final maximum rate of 7.15&nbsp;Mbit/s.