If Virgin's service is the mother of all broadband, this could well be her sister
Virgin Media launched its 50Mb broadband service earlier this week and promptly labelled it the "dawning of a new era of high-speed services in the UK." But what about those outside of Virgin Media's fibre-optic network?
For those of us still chugging along on BT's ageing network, Be Broadband has offered up a glimmer of hope by announcing the successful trial of a 48Mb ADSL service.
The trial, which ran on the London Paddington exchange, involves bonding two 24Mb connections together to essentially double the highest speed currently available. According to Be, customers participating in the trial reported real-world download speeds of between 30Mb and 45Mb - an impressive feat, considering it's delivered through a standard BT phone line.
Highlighting the potential of the service, Be Broadband's managing director Felix Geyr adds:
"We want to push the limits of high-speed broadband. We already offer the fastest possible broadband on an ADSL line, but we want to take it a step further. If you want broadband around the 50Mb mark but don’t want to go the cable route, Be wants to offer you a real alternative.
Further details on the technical aspect of the service remain few and far between, but Be has plans to publish its entire results in early 2009. That will then be followed by similar trials in other regions.
