BT Research

British telecommunications research organization

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BT Research

Formation| 1921
Type| Former government-owned body, now private research organisation
Purpose| Telecommunications research
Location|

* Adastral Park, Martlesham, Suffolk, IP5 3RE

Parent organization

| BT Group
Website| www.bt.com/about/bt/research-and-development

BT Research is the research arm of BT Group, formerly part of the British General Post Office. The company was first established in 1921 as the Post Office Research Station in Dollis Hill, London. In 1968 BT moved of its research to the new site at Martlesham Heath based on part of the old Royal Air Force Station at Martlesham Heath near Ipswich in the English county of Suffolk, which was later renamed Adastral Park.

## Location

[edit]

Adastral Park

BT's main research facility is located in the United Kingdom at Adastral Park, near Ipswich in the county of Suffolk. The Adastral Park site was first planned around 1968 as the Martlesham Heath Post Office Laboratories[1] and after completion in 1971 it has grown to a facility which today has around 4,000 research and development people from both BT and some of its partner companies. Globally, BT has additional research labs in Beijing, Boston MA and Abu Dhabi. The focus of research at BT is Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

The Royal Air Force were the original residents of the site in Suffolk at RAF Martlesham Heath. Experimental aircraft test flights flew from the airfield and the name (Adastral Park) is intended to reflect the history of experimentation and innovation, which is the continuing focus for the Park.[citation needed] The initial models and plans created by the MPBW [successor to the MOW] would appear to indicate the influence of the Thunderbirds TV series of the 1960s.[citation needed]

## Activities

[edit]

### Current research themes

[edit]

Major theme areas are;

* IT services, software and systems
* Internet of Things (IoT)
* Big data
* Future of the Internet and network transformation
* Mobility and convergence
* Future of the Web and semantic intelligence
* Information and security systems
* Customer service and systems
* The digital home and sociable communications

## Academic research partners

[edit]

BT works closely with both academics and students in over 20 institutions globally and has strong partnerships with the University of Cambridge in the UK, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US and Tsinghua University in China. BT also leads the India-UK Advanced Technology Centre, a consortium of 22 Indian and UK industry and academic partners conducting research into current and next generation fixed and wireless communications.

## History

[edit]

Main building

Research in the company was first established in 1921 at the Post Office Research Station at Dollis Hill, London. In 1968 BT began the move of its research to the new site at Martlesham Heath in Suffolk. By late 1969 small teams of researchers were working at Martlesham. The first new research building was formally opened on 21 November 1975 by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. The architect was Mr Stanislaw Spielrein ARIBA of the Ministry of Public Building and Works [MPBW].[2] The new building housed 1,700 people.

## Patents

[edit]

By the turn of the twentieth century, the site had produced over 10,000 patents.

## Innovations from BT Research

[edit]

2006 [October] – BT implemented the world's first fully automated 'spam buster' system to track down and tackle professional spammers and 'botnet' infected customers on the BT broadband network.

2002 [June] – Research and development teams designed and deployed a suite of new business systems allowing the launch of the UK's first commercial broadband internet access service.

1999 [July] – BT announced that it had pushed commercial optical fibre transmission to 80 Gbit/s. BT labs demonstrated the world's fastest regenerator – a photonic digital network component.

1995 [June] – BT research designed and developed a video on demand service, which was trialled in the local area [Ipswich – Colchester], with 2,500 customers. It used asymmetric data on a subscriber's line (asymmetric digital subscriber line) over copper cables, with a decoder supplied by Apple. – article on trial

1987 [August] – the world's first instantaneous translation of speech by computer was unveiled by BT's research laboratories.

1982 [April] – Europe's first satellite transmission service was launched with Adastral Park's satellite dishes beaming television signals to the Orbital Test Satellite, run by Eutelsat, allowing Finnish and Norwegian viewers to receive the (English language) signals.

1979 [September] – GPO launched Prestel, the world's first viewdata network.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ English Heritage MOW 'Y' Series Y 6507 etc
2. ^ RIBA Kalendar 1964-5, p.215

## External links

[edit]

* BT Technology Journal
* BT Group
* Adastral Park

* v
* t
* e

BT Group

Divisions
and
subsidiaries|

| Current|

* BT Consumer
* BT Business and Public Sector
* BT Global Services
* BT Wholesale and Ventures
* BT Research
* Openreach
* EE
* Plusnet
* BT Ireland
* BT Italia

|

Former|

* BT Marine
* dabs.com
* Hibu
* Madasafish
* merged into Plusnet
* Manx Telecom
* O2 (UK)
* O2 (Ireland)
* O2 (Germany)
* Ribbit
* Concert Communications Services
* Telecomsoft
* Tymnet
* International Network Services
* Dialcom
* Telfort
* LineOne
* Swindon Cable
* 6GMOBILE
* Open....

Products
and
services|

| Current|

* BT Broadband
* EE Broadband
* EE Mobile
* EE TV
* EE WiFi
* BT Smart Hub
* TNT Sports

|

Defunct|

* BT Fusion
* BT Highway
* BT Mobile
* BT Superfast Fibre
* BT Versatility
* BT Voyager
* BT MyDonate
* BT MyPlace
* Telecom Gold
* Micronet 800
* Merlin M4000

Buildings
and
facilities|

| Current|

* Adastral Park
* Baynard House
* BT Centre
* BT Tower (London)
* BT Tower (Birmingham)
* BT Tower (Swansea)
* BT Riverside Tower
* Stadium House
* Charwelton BT Tower
* Faraday Building
* Goonhilly Cornwall
* Guardian Exchange Manchester
* Madley Communications Centre
* National Network Management Centre
* Peterborough transmitting station
* Zouches Farm transmitting station
* Heaton Park BT Tower
* Purdown BT Tower
* Pye Green BT Tower
* Stokenchurch BT Tower
* Sutton Common BT Tower
* Tinshill BT Tower
* Tolsford Hill BT Tower
* Wotton-under-Edge BT Tower
* Red telephone box
* KX telephone boxes
* LinkUK

|

Former|

* Anchor telephone exchange
* Bletchley Park
* C.S. Sovereign
* Horwood House
* Kingsway telephone exchange
* Leafield Technical Centre
* Mondial House
* Stag Lane Aerodrome
* Marland House
* Sheffield Telephone House
* Post Office Research Station
* Portishead Radio
* Criggion Radio Station
* Rugby Radio Station
* Microwave network
* TAT-1
* TAT-8
* TAT-9
* TAT-14
* CANTAT-2
* SAT-2
* UK-Belgium 5

Programmes
and
standards|

| Current|

* BT 21CN
* BT site engineering code
* BT Speaking Clock
* British telephone socket
* Cable jetting
* Customer Service System
* Advanced Mobile Location
* Digital Access Carrier System
* Digital Access Signalling System 2
* System X
* System Y
* ADSL Max
* Redcare
* 1-5-7-1
* YouView

|

Defunct|

* Digital Access Signalling System 1
* Digital Private Network Signalling System
* Fixed-Mobile Convergence Alliance
* Go!Messenger
* International Packet Switched Service
* NHSnet
* N3 (NHS)
* Packet Switch Stream
* Prestel
* TXE
* TXK

History|

* BT Group
* General Post Office
* Electric Telegraph Company

Other|

* BT Archives
* BT Museum
* BT Digital Music Awards
* BT Sport Action Woman Awards
* Buzby
* Connected Earth
* People
* Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition
* British Telecommunications plc v. Prodigy

* Category
* Commons

* v
* t
* e

Telecommunications

History|

* Beacon
* Broadcasting
* Cable protection system
* Cable TV
* Communications satellite
* Computer network
* Data compression
* audio
* DCT
* image
* video
* Digital media
* Internet video
* online video platform
* social media
* streaming
* Drums
* Edholm's law
* Electrical telegraph
* Fax
* Heliographs
* Hydraulic telegraph
* Information Age
* Information revolution
* Internet
* Mass media
* Mobile phone
* Smartphone
* Optical telecommunication
* Optical telegraphy
* Pager
* Photophone
* Prepaid mobile phone
* Radio
* Radiotelephone
* Satellite communications
* Semaphore
* Phryctoria
* Semiconductor
* device
* MOSFET
* transistor
* Smoke signals
* Telecommunications history
* Telautograph
* Telegraphy
* Teleprinter (teletype)
* Telephone
* The Telephone Cases
* Television
* digital
* streaming
* Undersea telegraph line
* Videotelephony
* Whistled language
* Wireless revolution

Pioneers|

* Nasir Ahmed
* Edwin Howard Armstrong
* Mohamed M. Atalla
* John Logie Baird
* Paul Baran
* John Bardeen
* Alexander Graham Bell
* Emile Berliner
* Tim Berners-Lee
* Francis Blake
* Jagadish Chandra Bose
* Charles Bourseul
* Walter Houser Brattain
* Vint Cerf
* Claude Chappe
* Yogen Dalal
* Donald Davies
* Daniel Davis Jr.
* Amos Dolbear
* Thomas Edison
* Philo Farnsworth
* Reginald Fessenden
* Lee de Forest
* Elisha Gray
* Oliver Heaviside
* Robert Hooke
* Erna Schneider Hoover
* Harold Hopkins
* Gardiner Greene Hubbard
* Bob Kahn
* Dawon Kahng
* Charles K. Kao
* Narinder Singh Kapany
* Hedy Lamarr
* Roberto Landell
* Innocenzo Manzetti
* Guglielmo Marconi
* Robert Metcalfe
* Antonio Meucci
* Samuel Morse
* Jun-ichi Nishizawa
* Charles Grafton Page
* Radia Perlman
* Alexander Stepanovich Popov
* Tivadar Puskás
* Johann Philipp Reis
* Claude Shannon
* Almon Brown Strowger
* Henry Sutton
* Charles Sumner Tainter
* Nikola Tesla
* Camille Tissot
* Alfred Vail
* Thomas A. Watson
* Charles Wheatstone
* Vladimir K. Zworykin
* Internet pioneers

Transmission
media|

* Coaxial cable
* Fiber-optic communication
* optical fiber
* Free-space optical communication
* Molecular communication
* Radio waves
* wireless
* Transmission line
* telecommunication circuit

Network topology
and switching|

* Bandwidth
* Links
* Network switching
* circuit
* packet
* Nodes
* terminal
* Telephone exchange

Multiplexing|

* Space-division
* Frequency-division
* Time-division
* Polarization-division
* Orbital angular-momentum
* Code-division

Concepts|

* Communication protocol
* Computer network
* Data transmission
* Store and forward
* Telecommunications equipment

Types of network|

* Cellular network
* Ethernet
* ISDN
* LAN
* Mobile
* NGN
* Public Switched Telephone
* Radio
* Television
* Telex
* UUCP
* WAN
* Wireless network

Notable networks|

* ARPANET
* BITNET
* CYCLADES
* FidoNet
* Internet
* Internet2
* JANET
* NPL network
* TANet
* Toasternet
* Usenet

Locations|

* Africa
* Americas
* North
* South
* Antarctica
* Asia
* Europe
* Oceania
* Global telecommunications regulation bodies

* Telecommunication portal
* Category
* Outline
* Commons

* v
* t
* e

Telecommunications industry in the United Kingdom

* Economy of the United Kingdom
* Science and technology in the United Kingdom

Companies|

| Infrastructure
providers|

* Arqiva
* Babcock International
* BT Wholesale and Ventures
* CityFibre
* KCOM Group
* Nexfibre
* Openreach
* Interxion
* TelecityGroup
* Telehouse Europe

|

Service
providers|

| Current|

* Andrews & Arnold
* Asda Mobile
* BT Group
* BT Consumer
* BT Business and Public Sector
* BT Global Services
* EE
* Plusnet
* China Mobile
* CMLink
* Claranet
* Colt Group
* The Co-operative
* Cable & Wireless
* Entanet
* Inmarsat
* KCOM Group
* Eclipse Internet
* Lebara
* Lycamobile
* Sky
* Sky Broadband
* spusu
* TalkTalk
* Business
* Mobile
* TV
* Telecom Plus
* Tesco
* Three
* Three UK
* SMARTY
* Tru
* Virgin Media O2
* O2
* Giffgaff
* Virgin Media
* Virgin Media Business
* Vodafone
* Vodafone UK
* Talkmobile
* Voipfone
* WightFibre
* Zen Internet

|

Defunct|

* AOL
* Atlantic Telegraph Company
* Be Un Limited
* Bonelli's Electric Telegraph Company
* British and Irish Magnetic Telegraph
* Cable & Wireless plc
* Cable & Wireless Worldwide
* Electric Telegraph Company
* Energis
* Family
* General Post Office
* Gutta Percha Company
* Ionica
* London & Provincial District Telegraph
* Mercury
* National Telephone Company
* NTL
* Orange
* Ovivo
* Post Office
* Pipex
* Rabbit
* Sainsbury's
* Submarine Telegraph
* Tiscali UK
* T-Mobile
* Trunk Networks
* Leetline
* No One
* Universal Private Telegraph
* Virgin Mobile

Suppliers|

| Current|

* Arm Holdings
* Icera
* Metaswitch
* Sarantel
* Spirent
* Telent

|

Defunct|

* CSR
* GEC Plessey
* Marconi Company
* Marconi Communications
* Pace
* PicoChip
* Standard

Other|

* Carphone Warehouse
* Hibu

Government and
regulatory bodies|

* Broadband Stakeholder Group
* Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
* European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations
* International Telecommunication Union
* Ofcom
* Phone-paid Services Authority

Industry bodies|

* GSM Association
* Internet Service Providers Association
* Internet Telephony Services Providers' Association
* LONAP
* London Internet Exchange
* MaNAP

In Crown Dependencies and
British Overseas Territories|

* Akrotiri and Dhekelia
* Anguilla
* Antarctica (including British Antarctic Territory)
* Ascension Island
* Bermuda
* British Indian Ocean Territory
* British Virgin Islands
* Cayman Islands
* Falkland Islands
* Gibraltar
* Guernsey
* Isle of Man
* Jersey
* Montserrat
* Pitcairn Islands
* Saint Helena
* South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
* Turks and Caicos Islands
* Tristan da Cunha

History,
legislation|

* Adastral Park
* British Approvals Board for Telecommunications
* British Telecommunications Act 1981
* British telephone socket
* BT Research
* BT site engineering code
* Buzby
* Communications Act 2003
* Earth stations in UK
* Hull Colour Pages
* Interception of Communications Act 1985
* Internet in UK
* Telegraph Act
* Telegraph Act 1868
* Telegraph Act 1885
* Telephone numbers in UK
* UK telephone code misconceptions
* Web blocking in UK

* Category
* Commons

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