Be has announced that it has been conducting ‘Annex M’ trials with a cross-section of its members to increase the theoretical upstream of its service to speeds of up to 2.5 meg - up to ten times faster than any of its rivals.
Be, who was the first to launch an ADSL2+ network in the UK, has been running the ‘Annex M’ trials since late last year. The customers taking part in the trials have seen average upload speeds of 1.9 meg - 60 per cent faster than Be’s current record of 1.3 meg.
Upon successful completion of the Annex M trials, Be will upgrade its Office product to include the new technology at no additional fee. The Office product will offer up to 22 meg downstream and 2.5 meg upstream – significantly surpassing the throughput of a 2 meg SDSL product which retails at up to £1,050 per quarter versus Be’s £225.
“We are very excited about bringing another first to the UK market. It is very satisfying to offer a new technology with practical benefits at an unbeatable price level. This attitude defines what Be is about, and we will continue to challenge current norms,” says Dana Pressman, Be’s Managing Director.
The expanding Be network now covers 1.52 millions lines, representing over 44.4 per cent of the lines that lie within the M25 and Be is continuing its plans for a national rollout. Currently, Be has unbundled and activated 80 exchanges, with more and more exchanges being Be-enabled every week. By the end of May, Be plans to have activated 146 exchanges, with Birmingham and Manchester predicted to go live next month.
