VoIP phones to hit the sticks?

Rural communities all over the UK could soon be able to adopt IP telephony solutions.

The UK's fastest rural broadband was yesterday launched in the village of Lyddington in Rutland by rural internet service provider Rutland Telecom and Zhone Technologies.

Broadband access equipment provider Zhone Technologies has created a 40Mbps service, averaging out at 25Mbps, for the rural community. The UK average broadband speed is around 3.2Mbps.

The service, which rivals urban broadband using telephone lines will allow the residents of Lyddington to access digital online services such as VoIP solutions, online HDTV and on-demand television.

Lyddington's service could provide a model for other countryside communities to set up high-speed broadband through a sustainable self-financing programme.

The service exploits telecoms legislation, which can allow smaller companies to use parts of the BT copper wire network to supply high-speed broadband to individuals and businesses.

The worldwide broadband market stayed healthy in 2009, despite the continuing effects of the economic downturn, the technology market research firm ABI Research has said.

Revenue from fixed broadband services rose to £110 billion last year, up from £97 million in 2008, which could increase access to web-based VoIP phones.