ADSL is the technology used to connect you to the internet via copper telephone lines. ADSL2+ is the latest data communications technology that enables faster data transmission and a greater capacity than standard ADSL, allowing for much faster broadband speeds!

Along with the BT 21CN upgrade, the ADSL2+ update will provide speeds of up to 24Mb - that's up to three times faster than the current, standard ADSL speeds.

This means that we can now download files quicker and stream higher-quality music and videos! If you received lower speeds before (e.g. if you live a long way from your local telephone exchange) then you may also benefit from faster speeds, or at least, a more stable and constant connection. For more information on your speeds and what to expect from the 21CN ADSL2+ rollout, please read on.

ADSL2+ provides up to 24Mbps download speeds instead of the old 8Mbps that standard ADSL provides. "24Mbps" stands for 24 Megabits (of data) per second.

ADSL2+ still works very much the same way as ADSL, so your speeds will still depend on many factors such as:

• The distance from your home to your local telephone exchange (see point 5).
• Quality of the copper phone line.
• Quality of cabling and equipment.
• Demand at peak/off-peak times (traffic).
• Bad weather or EMI (Electromagnetic Interference)

Due to there being so many different possible influences on your connection and speeds, we cannot guarantee that everyone will benefit at all from BT's rollout scheme of ASDL2+ (21CN). It is possible that you experience no changes at all, although the vast majority of people will at least receive a more stable connection, if not an increase in download speeds.

For the best performance, customers must use an ADSL2+ capable router/modem and have filters installed on all telephone outlets. The graph below indicates what speeds you are likely to receive, depending on how far away you are from your local telephone exchange. Your exact speeds will depend on other factors - see point 3.

Customers that live more than 3500 metres (3.5km) from the exchange may not notice any significant increase in speeds on ADSL2+. However, these customers will experience a more stable and reliable connection if using an ADSL2+ compatible modem/router.

There is a very handy tool for checking the distance between you and your exchange, that you can find here. Simply enter your postcode and then click 'locality' - the information will then appear on screen, along with a small visual map.

BT are currently in the process of upgrading the telephone exchanges across the country. This project is known as the 'BT 21CN rollout' of ADSL2+. When your local exchange is upgraded you will be seamlessly transferred across to ADSL2+ with faster internet speeds. To find out when your local exchange is due for the upgrade, please use our broadband line speed checker.

21CN stands for “21st Century Network” and is the name of the latest BT rollout, or national 'network upgrade' project, which is an ADSL2+ upgrade plan. It features an entire upgrade of all telephone / internet exchanges across the country. The 21CN rollout plan brings many advantages, along with faster ADSL2+ broadband speeds. It will open up many new capabilities enabling BT's infrastructure for future growth. New developments such as on-demand, interactive TV and new technology to improve mobile access, are two of many reasons for the 21st Century Network upgrade. Find more in-depth information on BT 21CN here.

It is most likely that you will need an ADSL2+ compatible router/modem to be able to fully utilise the larger speeds. Without an ADSL2+ compatible router/modem, you will only receive ADSL speeds of up to 8Mb and not benefit from the faster speeds available on the ADSL2+ update.

Some manufacturers, however, release firmware (software) updates for their routers/modems to allow compatibility for the ADSL2+ upgrade. So be sure to check with your router/modem manufacturer's website to see if any updates are available for your model. For the best performance though, we recommend that you purchase a router or modem that is specifically designed to support ADSL2+.

Find cheap ADSL2+ compatible routers at our online shop!

If your router/modem already supports ADSL2+, then you may need to reconfigure it to use ADSL2+ instead of ADSL - if your line has recently been upgraded to the 21CN. This can usually be done by simply turning it off and then on again. Please consult your router/modem's instruction manual or manufacturer for details on how to do this.

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Try out Freeola Broadband today for only £9.99! If you run a business, why not try our VIP Business Broadband packages? Freeola will automatically transfer you across to 21CN when the ADSL2+ upgrade has taken place at your local exchange. Until then, your speeds will be limited to up to 8Mb but you will still benefit from our free and unlimited extras.