Birmingham picked for BT 21CN trials

Up to ten Birmingham-based exchanges to be connected to BT's next-generation network by January 2008.

BT has announced that it will conduct live trials of its 21st Century Network (21CN) in Birmingham.

Working in conjunction with business ISP Entanet, BT's Wholesale and Retail businesses will begin 21CN tests using a single live exchange in Birmingham from November, moving up to 10 exchanges by January 2008. BT intends to begin the nationwide rollout of 21CN later next year.

Entanet says that first-hand experience of 21CN's implementation and testing will be invaluable. "We'll be making financial, time and resource investments in our network to participate in the trial, which will give us a critical edge in planning ahead for our network as 21CN is rolled out," says Steve Lalonde, chief technical officer of Entanet.

Entanet is planning a multi-million pound investment in its own network infrastructure to exploit the new voice and data services that 21CN will make possible. The network is basically an implementation of ADSL2+ technology on BT's existing copper wire infrastructure. It will enable faster broadband connectivity as well as new internet-based services such as HD television. The village of Wick, near Cardiff, was the first to be connected to the new network, last November.

Trials in central London, Woolwich and Cambridge were successfully concluded in June.