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Hyperoptic launches 1Gbps fibre broadband in London
Residents in Prices Court, Wandsworth, can now sign up for Hyperoptic's 1Gbps broadband service.
The top-tier service, which is said to be the fastest home broadband package in the UK, has been rolled out to Prices Court, a riverside development in the borough.
This is the first stage in Hyperoptic's plan to roll out its 1Gbps product to large commercial and residential properties across the capital, before moving to other cities in 2012.
Speaking ahead of the switch-on at Prices Court, the internet service provider's (ISP's) chairman Boris Ivanovic acknowledged not every resident in the building will choose to subscribe to the fibre optic broadband service.
"This doesn't mean each resident wants to take the service, but they will have a Hyperoptic faceplate in every single flat," he told ZDNet UK. "If they decide to take the service, it will be instantly available to them.
"There is definitely a benefit for each resident to sign up when the whole building signs up."
Explaining the decision to allow the installation of Hyperoptic's next-generation network, director of Prices Court Zair Berry said the owner was keen to "future-proof" the development.
Residents who choose to take advantage of the 1Gbps service will receive download rates that are around 140 times faster than the UK average.
As well as the top-tier product, Hyperoptic offers 20Mbps and 100Mbps packages for consumers who do not need the full benefits of gigabit speeds.
Tests conducted by the ISP have shown subscribers can expect to receive throughput at 95 per cent of the maximum capability of their connection.
Dana Tobak, managing director of Hyperoptic, stated the copper-based networks operated by the likes of BT were not designed for the transfer of data and cannot keep up with the demands of modern technology.
She added the company can make each building included in its fibre broadband rollout "a showcase for Britain".