LLU

LLU is the abbreviation used for the technology of which is Local Loop unbundling. LLU is the process in which ISPs themselves install their own dedicated equipment to funnel through the customers bandwidhth. LLU is well known for delivering headline speeds of upto 24mbit/s down and upto 2.5mbit/s Up. using this form of network will also greatly improve your speed wherever you are, however on a line longer than 3500 metres (downstream attenuation 40db+) these benefits can be reduced significantly.

BT's equipment currently can only give you upto 8mbit/s down and just under half a megabyte (448kbit/s) for upstream traffic. This is then regulated in a series of IP profiles that determine what speed you will get, upto a resync and IP change. LLU however removes this IP profiling, enabling you to get the speed at whatever level. An 8mbits plan on LLU means 8mbits; while using BTs network will only yield a maximum of 7.15mbits.

According to BT, As of 14 January 2006, 210,000 local loop connections had been unbundled from BT operation under local loop unbundling. OFCOM however was hoping for around one million by that time. Eighteen months later that figure got to two million.