Further Ofcom rules to support fibre investment Add to Your Pages
24 May 2019
New rules give rival firms better access to Openreachs infrastructure
Measures to support competition and investment certainty in business markets
Companies laying high-speed fibre cables for broadband and mobile networks will benefit from greater access to Openreachs telegraph poles and underground tunnels, under draft decisions announced today by Ofcom.
Openreach, which maintains the UK's main broadband network, is already required to let rival companies use its telegraph poles and underground ducts' to lay their own fibre networks, under rules set by Ofcom last year.
Until now, this measure which can cut the upfront cost of building full-fibre networks by around half has been available to companies focusing on residential and small-business customers. Today's draft decision would extend it to firms serving large businesses, as well as companies laying high-speed lines that support mobile and broadband networks.
Virgin Media, TalkTalk and CityFibre are among the firms already using Openreach's ducts and poles to connect thousands of homes and businesses to faster, more reliable broadband.[1] Between them, competing providers are using around 12,000 Openreach telegraph poles and 2,500 km of underground duct.
Extending access to business networks would allow companies to use Openreach's infrastructure for all telecoms services, improving the business case for them to invest in cutting edge, full fibre and 5G networks.
Ultrafast broadband, which offers download speeds of at least 300 Mbit/s, is now available to more than half of homes in the UK. Full fibre, a form of ultrafast broadband that uses fibre cables all the way from the exchange to people's homes, is now available to 7% of UK properties.[2] And while the number of full-fibre lines more than doubled last year, Ofcom wants to see coverage extended to millions of properties in the coming months.
Supporting competition and investment certainty in business marketsToday, we are also refreshing our regulation of leased lines high-speed data connections used by large organisations, which form the backbone of the UK's mobile and broadband networks.
Under our draft decision, in areas of the country where Openreach faces limited competition from other leased-line networks, we would continue to regulate what it can charge providers to use these services, keeping prices flat. We would also impose strict requirements on Openreach for repairs and installations, to ensure high service standards are delivered.
Also, in many areas, there are no rival networks present at BT's exchanges. Even with duct and pole access, network competition is unlikely to emerge for connections from these exchanges. Here, Openreach would be required to give competitors physical access to its fibre-optic cables, at a price that reflects its costs.
This service is called dark fibre', because the cables are lit' by competitors with their own equipment. Introducing dark fibre in only these areas would significantly reduce the cost for mobile and broadband operators to connect their networks, without undermining their incentives to lay new, competing fibre cables where it is economic to do so.
Where there is stronger network competition, or prospective competition, regulation would be lighter than existing rules, to allow this competition to flourish.
Jonathan Oxley, Ofcom's Competition Group Director, said: The amount of internet data used by people in the UK is expanding by around half every year. So, we'll need faster, more reliable connections for our homes, offices and mobile networks.
Our measures are designed to support the UK's digital future by providing investment certainty for continued competitive investment in fibre and 5G networks across the country.
Supporting widespread fibre investmentToday's measures are the latest in Ofcom's programme of work to support long-term investment nationwide in full-fibre networks.
We recently set out initial views on how our regulation could evolve to encourage competition and further investment from new alternative networks, Openreach and Virgin Media. In addition to today's measures, this long-term strategy includes:
Regulating business and residential markets together from 2021 so companies investing in full fibre can offer a range of services over a common underlying network, serving both homes and businesses.
Extending the duration of regulation from three to five years to help provide longer-term certainty to investors.
Different regulatory approaches in different parts of the country to ensure that rural areas, where there is no prospect for competing networks and a weaker commercial case for investment, are not be left behind.
Next stepsToday's draft decisions follow Ofcom's reviews of the physical infrastructure and business connectivity markets. The new regulations will cover the period from our final decisions, until April 2021.[3]
As required for all market reviews, our draft decisions have been submitted to the European Commission for comment, after which we will publish our final statement next month.[4]
We intend to consult in December on detailed proposals for a single, holistic residential and business telecoms market review, covering the period 2021 to 2026.
NOTES TO EDITORS1. For example, Virgin Media alone recently connected more than 2,000 homes and businesses in a village in Wales using Ofcom's duct access rules.
2. Source: Ofcom's Spring 2019 Connected Nations update.
3. The new, unrestricted duct and pole access will be implemented one month after our final statement. Dark fibre access will have to be provided from six weeks after our final statement.
4. Under Article 7 of the Framework Directive
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
03/03/2026
For many, finding time or headspace to pick up a book can feel out of reach, but...
03/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Realtek demonstrate first test solution for Bluetooth LE Hi...
03/03/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
03/03/2026
Luxembourg, 2 March 2026 -- SES S.A. fully consolidates Intelsat from 17 July 2025 and announces financial results for the year ended 31 December 2025
FY25 Pe...
03/03/2026
03 Mar 2026
VEON and MeetKai Expand Collaboration to Explore Sovereign AI Infra...
03/03/2026
Tuesday 3 March 2026
Sky releases official trailer for The Miniature Wife, a Sk...
03/03/2026
Tuesday 3 March 2026
Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac land first ever live commentary ...
03/03/2026
Tuesday 3 March 2026
The Dyers' Caravan Park reopens for a second season after a hit launch on Sky
The Dyers' Caravan Park
JPEG (510KB)
Sky books a ...
03/03/2026
Harmonic's cOS Virtualized Broadband Platform Simplifies Network Operations, Lowers Hardware Dependency and Enables Seamless DOCSIS and Fiber Growth SAN JO...
03/03/2026
Comscore to Announce Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial ResultsRESTON, VA, March 3, 2026 Comscore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a trusted partner for plannin...
03/03/2026
Self-taught on iMovie, Hanagami transitioned to Final Cut Pro in 2009, discovering that professional tools could give him full creative control over how his wor...
03/03/2026
RT Media Sales has announced Spry Finance has renewed it's sponsorship of M...
02/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates FR1-FR3 carrier aggregation, advancing 6G readiness Rohde & Schwarz and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. have reached another pivotal ...
02/03/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, and Arqit Quantum Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQQ, A...
02/03/2026
Luxembourg, February 26, 2026 - SES and Africa Mobile Network (AMN) have expande...
02/03/2026
Monday 2 March 2026
Saturday Night Live UK announces writing team
L-R: Jonno Johnson; Charlie Skelton; Celya AB; Omar Badawy; Gr inne Maguire; Laura Claxton; ...
27/02/2026
Since its inception, Gorillaz has been known for blending art with genre-bending...
27/02/2026
This week, Spotify introduced Audiobook Charts for the U.S. and U.K. The charts make it easy to discover your next favorite book by showing what's popular a...
27/02/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Viasat to collaborate on NB-NTN IoT test plan for connectivi...
27/02/2026
In media technology, big features often steal the spotlight - AI integrations, cloud transformations, automation frameworks. But for the people who use these to...
27/02/2026
Digital Asset Management systems sit at the heart of most marcoms operations. They centralise content, organise it, and make it discoverable. Integrated with th...
27/02/2026
The AI Wild West comes to NAB 2026 and Blue Lucy is bringing the Sheriff
The AI Wild West is here, and media organisations are feeling the heat. On Booth W23...
27/02/2026
A deeply personal, uncompromising portrait of the legendary punk rock iconFriday...
27/02/2026
One of Ireland's favourite lifestyle shows Home of the Year, returns for its 12th series and will be proudly sponsored by SIRO. The brand-new series will ai...
27/02/2026
Our Farm: A GIY Story lands on RT One and RT Player from March 3
From walled garden to community farm, new six-part series captures the unfiltered realities...
27/02/2026
Note: English version included below the Irish language version.
Seachtain na Gaeilge 2026 ar RT
A Ghaeilge mo cheol th '
T feachtas athnuaite i n...
26/02/2026
Rohde & Schwarz awarded contract by Israel Airports Authority for QPS201 securit...
26/02/2026
Rohde & Schwarz highlights its unique CMX500 one-box tester tailored for NTN tes...
26/02/2026
Rohde & Schwarz high-efficiency transmitter powers next-gen broadcast services i...
26/02/2026
Rohde & Schwarz highlights its comprehensive embedded systems test solutions at ...
26/02/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to showcase spectrum security and network efficiency solutions a...
26/02/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Broadcom showcase first Wi-Fi 8 RF signaling tests, paving w...
26/02/2026
Rohde & Schwarz advances AI-RAN testing using digital twins with NVIDIA Rohde & Schwarz, in collaboration with NVIDIA, continues to drive AI-RAN innovation fo...
26/02/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and LITEON demonstrate high throughput 5G femtocell testing with...
26/02/2026
The agreement ensures Europe's satellite-based augmentation continues enhanc...
26/02/2026
There were two big wins for RT KIDS shows at the 17th Kidscreen Awards in San Diego this week with Maddie Triggs and BeddyByes both taking home gongs.
The K...
26/02/2026
26 Feb 2026
VEON to Release FY25 Earnings Update on March 13, 2026 Dubai and New York, February 26, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital operator ...
26/02/2026
What can I watch on UKTV and stream on U this week?
This week's highlights include new episodes of Will and Ralf Should Know Better, The Marlow Murder Club...
26/02/2026
Thursday 26 February 2026
Sky partners with STARZ on high-impact boxing drama F...
26/02/2026
Thursday 26 February 2026
An Open Letter to Our Fellow Leaders in Global Media
From:
Tim Davie, BBC Director-General
Jon Slade, CEO, Financial Times
Anna B...
26/02/2026
Wuppertal February 26, 2026
Teatro alla Scala Elevates Backstage Communication with Riedel's BoleroRiedel Communications today announced that Fondazione T...
26/02/2026
RT has confirmed that it has today received payment from the GAA for its 50% share of GAAGO.
RT confirmed in February 2025 that it had agreed in principle wi...
26/02/2026
RT Statement regarding the broadcast of Republic of Ireland vs Israel Nations League fixture
If the match goes ahead and that is a decision for the FAI as ...
25/02/2026
It's never been easier to customize your Spotify listening experience. Last year, we introduced more control over the way your playlist sounds, giving Premi...
Further Ofcom rules to support fibre investment Add to Your Pages 
