21CN services to be rolled out from April

The ambitious 21CN project will combine all BT's networks

The first services on BT’s 21st century network (21CN) will launch at the end of April, offering broadband connections of up to 24Mbit/s.

The 21CN project is a £10bn initiative to combine all the telecoms giant’s networks into a single IP-based infrastructure.

The new products being released are targeted at internet service providers (ISPs).

“There will be a lot moreopportunities for ISPs to differentiate their services,” said Guy Bradshaw, general manager of BT Wholesale Broadband.

“We want to offer many capabilities to providers, so that they can innovate and drive new business models. You will see people bringing out quality-grade packages focusing on resilience, all the way through to low-entry economy deals.”

The reduced cost of high-speed connections enabled by 21CN will create new opportunities for small businesses, allowing tools and functionality that were previously limited to just the largest corporations, said Bradshaw.

High-speed broadband connections already contribute £60bn to the UK economy, and discussions are under way on how to ensure the swift rollout of a faster national infrastructure.

An independent study led by Francisco Caio, the former chief executive of Cable & Wireless, is due to report to the chancellor Alistair Darling in the autumn.

But there are clear differences between services that will transform businesses and those that are targeted at consumers, according to Rupert Wood, principal analyst at research firm Analysys. The 24Mbit/s ADSL2+ connections arriving this year will primarily be for home use.

“BT’s rollout of ADSL2+ is very basic when compared to some of the other incumbent operators in Europe,” said Wood.

“It is essentially a consumer technology, so higher band-width will give them faster downloads and better-quality IPTV services.”

The real challenge is the creation of a single IP infrastructure to handle the communication demands of the entire country, said Wood.

“The UK is a leading nation in terms of moving towards a unified core network that can carry voice, data and anything else you want,” he said.

“BT’s progress in this area is impressive, and 21CN is probably the most ambitious next-generation project in the world.”