It appears as if BT is ready to increase the speed of its next generation fibreoptic broadband launch, bringing up to 100Mbps broadband within the reach of about a million homes by next year.

In a statement after the broadband market leader’s financial report for the last three months of 2008 was published, CEO Ian Livingstone said: “We will examine doubling the pace of the rollout of super fast broadband next year within existing capital expenditure plans, bringing fibre based services within the reach of more than a million homes and businesses and securing the jobs of a thousand BT people.”

By chance, BT were forced to act quick after it was revealed that Virgin media has started providing a 200Mbps service, and has shown plans to start a 150Mbps service to users in 2010.

“If BT were to meet the time frame they have suggested – of finishing by 2012 – I would see us as having much, much faster upstream speed, running at a minimum of 100Mbps downstream and possibly more,” said Virgin Media CEO Neil Berkett in March.

In the previous month, BT said it would be using fibre optic connections in a few of exchanges in suburban London and Cardiff for trial basis this summer before more productions started.