By Lisa Burroughes, 4 February 1999 17:14
NEWS BT has announced it is to spend £5bn over the next five years upgrading its UK network to carry voice and data traffic. The company said the improvements are to prepare for growth in both business and residential Internet use. The network, called BeTaNet, will also be linked up to BT's pan-European fibre-optic network, which the telco says is now in its final stages of testing. BT claims it will begin rolling services out over the next few months. Once completed, BeTaNet will be able to offer simultaneous voice, data, video and Internet services. Instead of upgrading the copper wire in the local loop, however a spokesman said: "We will use DSL (digital subscriber line) as our principle technology, and will have services available for it by the end of this year." BT chief executive, Sir Peter Bonfield said in a written statement: "This new capability will enable BT to provide businesses with an integrated access point at site or desktop, providing a data service defined by the customer."
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