June 3, 2019

Ofcom says that under its draft decisions, companies laying high-speed fibre cables for broadband and mobile networks will benefit from greater access to Openreach’s telegraph poles and underground tunnels.

Ofcom says that access to ducts and poles is being extended to providers who focus on business customers. Ofcom is also refreshing its regulation of “leased lines”, i.e. high-speed data connections used by large organisations, which form the backbone of the UK’s mobile and broadband networks.

The draft decisions follow Ofcom’s reviews of the physical infrastructure and business connectivity markets. The new Regulations will cover the period from its final decisions until April 2021.

The draft decisions have been submitted to the European Commission for comment, after which Ofcom will publish its final statement next month. To read Ofcom’s news release in full, click here.