London 2012 athletes get speed boost with free fibre broadband from BT

BT Infinity broadband will support London 2012 athletes

BT today announced plans to provide its fastest fibre broadband service boasting speeds of up to 100Mb/s to around 19,000 athletes and officials based at the Olympic Village in east London during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. BT Infinity broadband is being provided to Olympic and Paralympic athletes free of charge thanks to an agreement between BT, the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

BT will deliver the service as part of its role as the official communications services partner for London 2012. The availability of super-fast fibre broadband at the athletes’ apartments will allow them to keep in touch easily with their friends and family.

At the Olympic Village, BT will provide its fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) technology to approximately 2,800 apartments across 65 blocks. With just under one year to go until the start of the Games, more than 75 per cent of the communications infrastructure has been completed already.

All 550 athletes and officials staying at the Olympic Sailing Venue on the Isle of Portland, near Weymouth, will also receive free fibre broadband speeds of up to 40Mb/s. BT’s fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) technology will be used to deliver this service.

Athletes based at both venues will receive the BT Infinity fibre broadband service for free.

Both fibre broadband networks will remain in place after the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with the infrastructure open to all UK communications providers on an open, wholesale basis. This will ensure that BT’s fibre infrastructure at these sites is re-used in the most sustainable way while allowing users to benefit from a range of broadband suppliers and low prices. Following the Games, any subsequent site owners can continue to offer super-fast broadband services via their chosen supplier to residents or businesses housed at the venues. In the case of the Olympic Village, the site will be transformed into a new neighbourhood for east London, with 2,818 new homes, including 1,379 affordable homes.

Chris Clark, Director of BT’s London 2012 programme, said: “We’re extremely proud that BT is the broadband services provider of London 2012. Supporting the communications needs of athletes during the Games is a central part of our role. Through the free broadband service we are providing with LOCOG, the athletes will be able to keep in close contact with friends and family, without worrying about costs. Crucially, the fibre network we are deploying at both venues will be a lasting legacy, providing local residents and businesses with super-fast broadband speeds long after the Games have drawn to a close. It’s all part of BT’s goal to make London 2012 the most connected Games ever.”

LOCOG Chair Seb Coe said, “The athletes are at the heart of all our plans, so providing simple home comforts such as broadband is something that we have always been keen to do and I’m delighted that BT will make it possible. It will allow them to stay in touch with, and get words of encouragement from, friends, family and fans around the world as they prepare to take part in the greatest show on earth.”

Oscar Pistorius, Paralympic champion and BT Ambassador said, “I spend a lot of time away from home training and competing, so being able to stay in touch with my coach – who can’t always travel with me - is vital to my preparations before a big race. Thanks to BT and LOCOG, at the Games next year I won’t have to worry about how I’m going to arrange to get broadband, I’ll be able to focus on what I’m there to do – to win gold. And when I do, I’ll be straight onto BT Infinity broadband to tweet about it!”

BT’s Openreach division is busy rolling out fibre broadband services to up to two thirds of the UK by the end of 2015. More than 5 million premises already have access to the technology and this is set to rise to 10 million by 2012, so that millions more will be able to enjoy super-fast broadband speeds by the time of the Games. Parts of east London and the Isle of Portland are included in BT’s commercial fibre roll-out plans with around 64,000 and 5,400 premises having access to the technology respectively, by the start of the Games.