The UK`s primary telephone operator, BT, has officially rolled out its 21st Century Network project in the village of Wick, near Cardiff.

Residents of that small community are the first to have their voice and broadband communication needs routed over BT`s 21CN network, a massive IP-based infrastructure initiative to replace copper circuit switched telephone lines, at a cost of £10 billion over five years.

Cardiff, Bridgend, and the Pontypridd, all in South Wales, will be moved onto the new network in the coming months, as BT strives to serve 350,000 customers with 21CN by the end of 2007.

Paul Reynolds, who serves as CEO of BT Wholesale and is the telephone giant`s board sponsor of 21CN, says that the rest of BT`s customers will be transitioned to IP-based infrastructure over the next few years.