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BT announces the acceleration of its next generation network deployment in Glasgow just as Muswell Hill residents block local trial

UK telco BT announced today that it is to accelerate the deployment of its next generation, “super fast” broadband networking infrastructure in Glasgow.

The announcement comes just one week after residents of Muswell Hill in North London successfully blocked BT’s trial of the technology there.

The trial involved erecting two-metre high green junction boxes in public areas, which reportedly met with opposition of Muswell Hill residents. A local residents’ association successfully appealed to the Haringey Council to halt the trial.

BT said today that it will complete the roll out of its new broadband network to the Hillington, Cardonald and Crookston areas of Glasgow later this year, months ahead of its original 2010 target.  This will involve building 56 more ‘street cabinets’ than originally planned.

“The race to get super-fast broadband into Glasgow is well and truly underway,” said Bob Downes, head of the Scotland branch of Openreach, BT’s network infrastructure division. “The accelerator is flat to the floor.”

Leader of Glasgow City Council Steven Purcell welcomed BT’s decision. “With many businesses reliant on being able to send, receive and manage huge quantities of data and information on a daily basis a robust and modern communications infrastructure is an essential component to the city’s economic success and competitiveness,” he said in a statement.

BT says its “super fast” broadband infrastructure will allow 40% of homes in the UK to access download speeds of up to 40 mbps by 2012. According to a recent Ofcom report, the current UK average is 4.1 mbps, despite the fact that the average advertised speed is 7.1 mbps.