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O2 UK has announced it is launching Business Broadband, along with making their home broadband truly nationwide.
As you might know, O2 were later to market with their BBand offering, but, I take that as a sign of making sure things were tested fully, and dare I say it, working consistently (unlike some other notable providers who shall remain nameless!)
The business-grade service will allow Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs, as they are known) access rates of up to 20Mbps. Now I know that “up to” is an oft-misued phrase with BBand providers, but O2 have been good about clarifying things:
Customers inside the the O2 LLU (Local Loop Unbundling) network will top out at 20Mbps (O2 are busy fitting out their hardware with ADSL2+ capability), and those outside the LLU area will get up to 8Mbps. Of course, there are the usual key factors here – your distance from the exchange, and the quality of the wire between you and the exchange.
There’s been quite a fuss about BBand speeds in the UK press of late, with the media are suggesting customers are being ripped off – personally I don’t subscribe to that view at all – you get what the infrastructure can provide – but it’s good to see O2 going the extra mile and trying to make things as clear as possible.
Some other details:
“The new service will include a free connection, unlimited data usage, a free wireless router, five McAfee security licences, a static IP address and 24 hour UK-based business support.
O2′s Home Broadband service is now available throughout the UK using BT’s wholesale network to reach potential customers in areas where the local BT telephone exchange has not been unbundled.”
It’s an interesting time for O2 as they roll out both Fixed and Mobile BBand – I’ve not had opportunity to try the O2 “Mobile BBand” USB 3G stick (hint, hint, O2 PR!!), but I would assume it’s of equally good quality as their Fixed offering!
[Via: vnunet.com]
About The Author
Ben Robinson
Ben is a 10+ year veteran of the Mobile industry – starting his career when SMS was a still a relatively new concept for most people (!), he has now consulted on everything from bleeding-edge Mobile content, to the next-gen accessories you might view it on. As a result he has a broad and deep knowledge in numerous areas of Mobile – from network operators to device vendors, to infrastructure and middleware vendors (not to mention content delivery) – and has worked for companies in all of these areas! He is based in the UK, a hotbed of activity for mobile, and recently became a father for the second time – as oppose to in his younger years when he was happy spend time tweaking all manner of mobile devices to 'nth' degree, he now looks for services and hardware that provide the most efficient, compact, and reliable improvements to his already manic life! It’s his opinion that Mobile solutions should be there to help to make your life better – if a particular solution (be it service or device) isn’t doing this, he believes you need to ask the very important question of why you continue to use it... His focus at IntoMobile is mainly on Mobile content, services, and infrastructure, particularly as regards the UK market – and with the occasional look at devices. Additionally, using his extensive experience in the industry, he will provide commentary on the industry at large, with regular (and hopefully thought-provoking) articles.
