High-speed broadband internet services could be available throughout Britain by 2005, BT has claimed.

The telecoms giant said that 100 per cent coverage of the country, in line with government targets, is in sight but will only happen if industry and the Government pull together.

The company has announced plans to roll out the service to 2,300 exchanges.

Once these are connected, more than 99 per cent of the country will have access to ADSL broadband. Extra funding is needed before the remaining 600 exchanges, serving 100,000 UK householders, can be switched on.

Broadband access is currently available to more than 80 per cent of UK households but both industry and the Government are pushing for country-wide coverage.

Last year, the Government pledged to connect every school in the country to broadband by 2006.

For the service to be switched on at an exchange earmarked for conversion, a sufficient number of users have to register their interest.

Changes in the cost of equipment mean that the trigger levels of demand have been lowered.

In areas where demand is still too low to reach the trigger levels, investment partnerships between public and private sector agencies have been able to encourage take-up and provide funding.

Tuesday November 18, 2003