Be broadband is in the rather difficult position of having to upgrade its broadband network in many areas of the UK after becoming “too successful”. A number of customers in the North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland have been experiencing slower speeds than the company had hoped, especially in the peak periods of Internet use.
While the problems have been overcome by rerouting slower network areas to other Be broadband exchanges across the UK this is only a temporary fix. Over the next 6 to 8 weeks customers in Brighton, Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Warrington, South Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Preston should see a significant improvement in Be broadband connection speeds as these exchanges are upgraded.
This perfectly illustrates the problem of being “too successful” in the broadband market and the need to ensure that technology is able to keep pace with demand and offer a service which is acceptable to consumers and businesses alike. Be broadband has been one of the more successful broadband operators in the UK and topped a number of broadband polls over the last couple of years.
While the initial problems in the areas highlighted above were quickly resolved by rerouting traffic to other exchanges, it would appear that time has now come for Be broadband to invest heavily for the future.