TalkTalk has opened up registrations for its new ultrafast broadband service dubbed Ultra Fibre Optic (UFO) in York and has also revealed that homes and businesses will be able to opt for the service at no extra cost.
The service, called Ultra Fibre Optic, will come as standard with TalkTalk’s three consumer packages, SimplyBroadband, Essentials TV and Plus TV, as well as TalkTalk’s Complete Business Broadband package for small to medium sized firms.
The telecommunications company said that it will use a new pricing model where customers will pay an all-in monthly price instead of splitting out a headline cost and line rental. The all-in consumer packages start with Simply Broadband at £21.70 a month and Complete Business Broadband at £25 a month.
This will make TalkTalk the first and only UK ISP to offer pure fibre for the same price as standard broadband, offering a significantly better product at already market leading TalkTalk prices. The move also marks a major milestone in making superior quality fibre broadband accessible to the mass market.
The UFO will offer gigabit speeds and households will be able to download a HD movie in less than 30 seconds, 100 photos in less than 5 seconds or an entire album in a second. The step change in connectivity will also boost businesses, improving efficiency and provide a competitive edge – all at no extra cost.
TalkTalk and its joint venture partners Sky and CityFibre are also testing innovative techniques to drive local engagement. Residents and businesses in the Huntington and Groves areas of York have been invited to vote to say they want the pure fibre network, which is completely independent to BT Openreach’s infrastructure, in their area.
With enough votes, the joint venture will also provide Ultra Fibre Optic to nominated good causes in the local community free of charge.
Dido Harding, Chief Executive of TalkTalk, commented: “The UK has lived with broadband infrastructure that has suffered significant underinvestment for too long and we lag well behind the rest of Europe when it comes to rolling out pure, ultrafast, fibre networks. We have the potential to become the world’s leading digital economy, but we need this kind of investment in superior fibre infrastructure to make this a reality.
“Ultra Fibre Optic will revolutionise the broadband experience in York by giving consumers and businesses access to all the speed and bandwidth they could ever need, at an affordable price, future-proofing the city and making York better off.”
The first customers are expected to be connected this autumn and homes and businesses currently with TalkTalk will be able to receive a priority upgrade to Ultra Fibre Optic.
