UK property site Rightmove is set include broadband speeds as a searchable criteria on all of its properties, as internet connectivity becomes an increasingly vital part of modern life.
The Telegraph reports that Rightmove has struck a deal with BT to list the internet speeds of the one million homes listed on its website.
Rightmove is planning to list broadband speed alongside standard information, such as the number of bedrooms and whether the property has a garage or garden.
The paper quoted a source close to the company saying: “Broadband is becoming one of the most, if not the most, important considerations for prospective buyers. Many people fall in love with a home only to find out it can only get really slow internet. By listing broadband speed with all the other property details buyers will be able to weed out homes that don’t have high-speed access.”
Rightmove said it displays the details of about 90% of all the properties for sale in the UK, will also list whether or not the property will be covered by BT Infinity, the telecom company’s new 40MB broadband.
BT is rolling out the £2.5bn fibre-optic broadband network at a rate of 80,000 homes a week. It is due to reach 16m homes by 2015.
A spokesman for Rightmove said: “As a leading UK website services like superfast broadband obviously interest us and we have recently looked into how it can benefit us, although we are not currently in any form of partnership with BT.”
