New high-speed business broadband from BT could aid use of VoIP solutions

A brand new business broadband offering from BT could revolutionise the way many firms work and make it easier for them to adopt technology such as voice over internet protocol (VoIP) solutions.

The telecommunications firm has launched a service that will be capable of providing speeds of up to 100 Mbps, matching the highly-coveted internet deal from Virgin Media.

Virgin Media's provision is tailored for commercial use and is popular with users, but BT's has an advantage in terms of upload speeds, which are said to be 50 per cent faster.

Named BT Infinity Option 3, the service will be the company's fastest of all time and it will become the only major operator to allow uploading at 15 Mbps.

John Petter, managing director of BT's consumer division, claimed the business is "delighted" to be able to confirm the start of the scheme.

He noted there are already more than 300,000 British users of its fibre-based business broadband solution.

However, some organisations and home users will initially be disappointed, as BT Infinity 3 is to only be available in selected areas at first.

Exchanges in Highams Park and Leytonstone in London, as well as Forest Hill, Ashford, Redbridge, Chester, York, St Austell, Lewisham and Exeter will host the 100 Mbps service, allowing those located nearby to be among the first to snap it up.

The first two Infinity broadband links are capable of offering speeds of 40 Mbps and this option remains open to about six million homes and businesses in the UK.

BT has promised that its fibre-based super-fast services will be available to some two-thirds of the buildings in the country by the end of 2014.

Sean Williams, BT's group director of strategy policy and portfolio, recently claimed that Britain will boast the best broadband infrastructure in Europe by approximately 2015.