BT's faster broadband could improve VoIP

VoIP solutions could improve across the UK following an agreement between BT and Alcatel-Lucent to increase broadband speeds.

Broadband provider BT signed a five-year partnership deal with infrastructure specialist Alcatel-Lucent which will enable the telecoms giant to deliver super-fast broadband to business and customer users.

The move could advance the standard of IP telephony solutions, as faster broadband speeds would improve the quality and reliability of calls.

Lakh Jemmett, vice president Alcatel-Lucent North Europe, expressed his belief that the deal would be a great success, allowing users to access an improved service at a reasonable price.

He said: "We are proud that our High Leverage Network architecture is enabling BT to transform their business, transform their networks, and deliver powerful new services in a scalable, cost-effective way."

The new technology will also be able to cope with increasing bandwidth demands, enabling the service to deal with the expected growing levels of VoIP traffic.

Residents in the east of England will be the first to gain access to the infrastructure in spring next year.