Major upgrade of BT services - 02/10/06
The Vale of Glamorgan Council has welcomed the news that BT
customers in Cardiff and the surrounding area will be the first in
Wales to benefit from the company's development of its 21st Century
network (21CN).
Starting in late November, BT, working closely with other
communications providers, will begin the planned upgrade of voice
and broadband services.
Council Leader Cllr Jeffrey James said: "This is a major step in
the development of communications in Wales and BT believes it will
have as significant impact on the way people communicate as the
arrival of motorways had on road travel in the late 20th Century.
It will make communications easier, faster and better for voice,
data or video services and place the Vale and Cardiff at the
cutting edge of communications technology."
In a letter to the leader, BT Director Wales Ann Beynon says:
"This represents the first migration in the world of a customer
base onto this new type of network and will focus global attention
on South Wales.
"It is a new secure and intelligent communications
infrastructure that will deliver existing and future services
deigned to make people's lives more productive and businesses more
efficient."
Customers will not have to do anything to have their lines
upgraded, telephone numbers will remain unchanged and, with all
work being carried out in exchanges, no roads will need to be dug
up.
At the end of the local upgrade, BT and other communications
providers will hold an in depth review before moving on to the
planned upgrade of all remaining customers across the UK.