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BT Broadband Partners with Google to Launch Free Stadia Premiere Edition
18 Jan, 2020 / 10:19 AM / OMNES

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BT is partnering with Google to launch broadband plans in the UK that come with access to the Stadia cloud gaming service. It’s the first of its kind for Europe, allowing BT to offer a free Google Stadia Premiere Edition with broadband deals direct to consumers. BT, the biggest ISP in the UK, is planning to offer the free kit to customers who opt for the company’s Superfast Broadband 2, Ultrafast Fibre 100, or Ultrafast Fibre 250 services. BT is also planning a marketing campaign to promote its Stadia bundles.

When users subscribe to BT’s Superfast Fibre 2, Ultrafast Fibre 100, or Ultrafast Fibre 250, they will receive Stadia Premiere Edition for free. The plans start at £40.

Google’s Stadia Premiere Edition regularly lists for £120. It includes three months of Stadia Pro, a Chromecast Ultra, Stadia controller, and Destiny 2: The Collection. Presumably, at the end of three months, £9 will be tacked on to your bill to continue your Stadia Pro subscription, although the company’s press release did not mention this point.

Stadia requires a connection speed of at least 35Mbps for 4K gaming. BT’s Superfast Fibre 2, which is the most widely available package, averages 67Mbps, which is theoretically sufficient so long as the network does not get bogged down.

 The ISP is still rolling out Ultrafast Fibre 100 and Fibre 250, so it is only available in limited areas, but the company claims it is on track to connect to more than 12 million homes by the end of the year. These packages offer speeds between 145Mbps and 300Mbps, with a guarantee to stay above 100Mbps (Fibre 100) or 150Mbps (Fibre 250). BT will refund customers £20 if their connection drops below these thresholds.

The partnership is another step by Google to push its game streaming service into the mainstream.

BT’s deal with Google comes just a day after the promise of more than 120 games in 2020 for Stadia, including 10 exclusives. That’s a big jump from the 26 games currently available, and Google had previously only confirmed four games for 2020. Google is also bringing 4K gaming to the web part of Stadia in the coming months, alongside support for more Android phones and wireless gameplay on the web with the Stadia controller.