Ofcom proposes BT infrastructure sharing
UK incumbent BT would be forced to open up its network of telegraph poles, underground ducts and new fibre lines to competitors, under Ofcom plans announced to promote super-fast broadband in the country.
The regulator outlined proposals for BT to allow…
UK incumbent BT would be forced to open up its network of telegraph poles, underground ducts and new fibre lines to competitors, under Ofcom plans announced to promote super-fast broadband in the country.
The regulator outlined proposals for BT to allow competitors such as TalkTalk and Sky to have access to its fibre lines that are currently being developed, which Ofcom hopes would speed up the introduction of faster broadband services.
BT should also give other providers physical access to its underground ducts and overhead telegraph poles to lay their own fibre lines after discovering there was a “significant” amount of unused space in its network.
Ofcom found that up to 40% or 50% of BT’s duct network had room for new cables, while there was also the potential for wires to be added to its telegraph poles in some areas.
The watchdog is also proposing to slap price controls on BT for broadband access in some areas where it is the only provider via its copper-based wired network.
Ofcom hopes the measure will protect households against uncompetitive pricing after finding around 14% of UK premises only had access to BT broadband services.
The pricing controls would largely impact rural areas where access is often only through BT copper lines.
These are only related to wholesale costs, as BT said it charges retail customers the same price nationwide, regardless of where they live.
Ofcom’s plans would allow BT to charge for access to its fibre and physical network without introducing a limit, as it said this would be constrained by the wider competitive market.
BT will have three months from when Ofcom publishes its final report in the autumn to give an idea of how it intends to charge and offer access to its underground ducts.
