Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe Ltd, the leading supplier of high performance telecommunications solutions, has today announced the successful completion of a major pilot with BT, designed significantly to extend the reach of BT's IPStream 500 ADSL product. Using Rate Adaptive techniques, Fujitsu's technology represents a major breakthrough, bringing fast Internet and multimedia applications to more customers more quickly, over the standard copper customer lines. The new solution enables users up to 5.5km from the local exchange to connect to ADSL services, compared to 3.5km previously. This means that BT can achieve about 90% penetration for its always-on ADSL service, dramatically speeding up the realisation of Broadband Britain and potentially bringing ADSL services to an additional two million homes.

Fujitsu is a major provider of broadband solutions and is playing a key role in the in the roll-out of ADSL across Britain. The Adaptive Rate pilot involved the Fujitsu and BT teams working closely to ensure the smooth migration of the BT IPStream 500 product, integrating a number of diverse systems and testing these extensively prior to implementation. Rebecca Webster, BT's (Head of Broadband Marketing in BT Wholesale), commented:
"The introduction of rate adaptation on BT IPStream 500, our most popular ADSL product, is a significant step forward. It enables our wholesale customers to increase their penetration in existing ADSL areas and brings the benefits of broadband to a greater number of consumers in the UK. We will continue to work with our Fujitsu to enhance our DSL portfolio further."

Fujitsu's solution involves adapting the transmission rate depending on the length and signal quality of the existing telephone line, ensuring a consistent service at all times. ADSL is an "always on" service that currently provides asymmetrical services speeds to residential and business customers over normal copper pairs. Inherent to ADSL services is that they provide higher downstream data rates from the service provider compared to the upstream direction. This allows fast access to Internet information or video services to be delivered to the customer. Typically, the rates are 500kps, 1Mbps and 2Mbps downstream and 256Kbps upstream. With BT's launch of the Rate Adaptive BT IPStream 500 product, the upstream rate is intelligently adapted (within a defined range of 64k up to 256k) for lower speed customers, without limiting the performance of the ADSL service as a whole. The result is that more customers can now enjoy the benefits of ADSL services, with Fujitsu's technology overcoming the previous limitations of distance and delivery speed.

Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe

Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe Limited - a strategic division of the Telecommunications Group, Fujitsu Limited, Japan - is the largest supplier of Broadband Access equipment in the United Kingdom, the worldwide design location for access network solutions and a centre of excellence for the development of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology.

Currently employing 1,460 staff around Europe, Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe is focused on providing strategic end to end solutions, with a complete turnkey service - from project planning, community liaison, cable laying and civil engineering, to installation, implementation and ongoing maintenance. For more information visit: www.ftel.co.uk

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