Jan 24 - Gibtelecom To Upgrade Broadband Packages
Gibtelecom today announced the upgrade of its basic broadband packages, which sees minimum speeds being quadrupled, and the decommissioning of its ADSL internet network which has served the Company well since it launched broadband services in 2002.
Gibtelecom’s Customer Operations Director, Peter Borge, said: “Those customers who still subscribe to Gibtelecom’s lower speed ADSL products are being contacted directly to be advised of the decommissioning and to make arrangements to switch to the newer SuperSwift broadband in the coming weeks. This will require a Gibtelecom Broadband Gateway at the premises, which can either be set up by the Company’s technicians or by the consumer themselves. In parallel all customers currently subscribing to the lowest speeds of 4Mbps and 8Mbps will be automatically upgraded to a new 16Mbps SuperSwift fibre broadband product at no extra cost to the customer. As well as the speed upgrade, this will result in a saving of £2 per month for those currently on the 8Mbps package.”
Technology Director at Gibtelecom, Jansen Reyes, added: “Broadband networks are an increasingly critical part of the fabric of society globally. From having critical meetings via video teleconferencing over high-speed broadband connections, streaming those special moments with family and friends or booking hotels and flights for an upcoming trip, the internet has brought the world closer together.”
A spokesman for the company explained: "When Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) technology was first launched in Gibraltar by Gibtelecom over a decade ago, broadband offerings ranged from 256kbps to a maximum speed of 512 kbps. Following substantial investment Gibtelecom was one of the first operators to roll out GVector technology nationwide, allowing it to make the best use of the existing copper communications network. Gibtelecom now offers speeds of up to 100Mbps throughout Gibraltar, well ahead of the European Commission’s Digital Agenda targets for 2020 of all citizens having at least 30Mbps download speeds and well placed to meet the target of 50% of European households subscribing to speeds of 100Mbps."
The decommissioning decision has been taken as the Company is investing in new technology in order to be able to offer and deploy new services and faster technologies quickly, which is made easier when you don’t need to support legacy networks. Fibre broadband availability is a key enabler for a networked society and services-led economy like Gibraltar. Gibtelecom provides fibre to various nodes around Gibraltar meaning that no building is further than around 400m away from a fibre node. The Company is constantly extending its fibre network with all new premises being pre-wired with fibre and the commencement of a wider fibre to the home (FTTH) rollout is planned. Such technology will eventually facilitate offering speeds to the domestic consumer that are substantially higher than those currently available in the local market, in addition to those businesses which already subscribe to very fast fibre connectivity.
Mr Reyes added: “Any way you look at it, the deployment of new network technologies is necessary and means that some legacy equipment becomes outdated or underutilized, as well as being resource-intensive to operate and maintain. The ADSL network has served the Company well for many years but we are now focusing on newer technologies.”
Gibtelecom subscribers requiring any further information can call the Company’s help desks, which operate round the clock and every day of the week, including weekends. The numbers is +350 20052200 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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