BT began offering a Hybrid Speed Boost capability that will boost the fixed broadband speeds of small business customer currently being served via ADSL over copper lines.
Hybrid Speed Boost combines the copper infrastructure with EE’s 4G network to provide an automatic uplift in speeds to 20 Mbps downlink and 10 Mbps uplinlk on average.
Hybrid Speed Boost from BT is underpinned by MultiPath TCP (MPTCP) technology from Tessares. MultiPath TCP is an enhancement to TCP, and enables the efficient, selective combining of existing network assets. It takes TCP based traffic and is able to split the traffic over multiple paths (such as fixed and mobile networks) to deliver increased speeds to customers.
Hybrid Speed Boost is included at no extra cost for new BT business broadband customers taking ADSL broadband plans.
Chris Sims, BT’s MD for its SoHo (Single/Small Office, Home Office) unit, said: “Using cutting-edge technology, we’re launching the first product in the UK to fuse fixed and mobile connections together to bring faster speeds to small firms which might be struggling on slower copper lines. While the Openreach full fibre network is expanding at pace, week on week, we understand the frustration of small firms who risk being stuck behind as they wait to hear when ultrafast full fibre broadband will come to them. Fast, reliable broadband is vital for the smooth, day to day running of a business, so we’ve taken action today to boost speeds for business taking copper broadband – at no extra cost.
