UK broadband and cable operator Virgin Media plans to use incumbent BT’s poles and ducts to roll-out superfast broadband. Yesterday, telecoms regulator Ofcom unveiled regulations requiring BT to offer fibre competitors wholesale access to its…
UK broadband and cable operator Virgin Media plans to use incumbent BT’s poles and ducts to roll-out superfast broadband. Yesterday, telecoms regulator Ofcom unveiled regulations requiring BT to offer fibre competitors wholesale access to its infrastructure, as well as offering virtual unbundling services.
A spokesman for Virgin Media insisted there was little incentive for the group to use BT’s fibre network rather than expanding its own. Instead, Virgin Media plans to run its own fibre optic cables along BT’s poles and ducts.
This follows local reports suggesting that Virgin’s wholesale agreement with BT would likely go beyond poles and ducts.
“This is an important step that rightly focuses on opening up areas of the country not already served by superfast broadband, removing one of the hurdles that make such developments near impossible at present,” the Virgin Media spokesman said.
“However, we now need to ensure the price demanded for access to poles and ducts does not limit the ambitions of getting next-generation connectivity to those people living outside our towns and cities.”
Separately, Virgin Media is also concerned about the UK’s Electronic Communications Code, which the spokesman said appears to allow only temporary provision of aerial broadband.
In addition, the company is also calling for more transparency in the wayleave rates rural organisations CLA and NFU charge BT to dig up land in the UK.
