Ofcom Wants 100 Mbps Broadband Networks for New U.K. Homes
The proposals offer a unified approach to regulating the new fibre-based environment, and will help to avoid conflicts among the parties involved.
Ofcom's involvement will clarify the regulatory parameters for new fibre networks and will encourage investment from telecoms providers, property developers and utilities.
The United Kingdom's telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has outlined plans to ensure that new buildings in the country are equipped with fast broadband networks capable of providing up to 100 Mbps connectivity for homes and businesses. In a consultation proposal published on Wednesday (16 April), Ofcom said it is aiming to promote investment in super-fast broadband networks and services for new housing and office developments across the country. It stated: “The proposed regulations are designed to provide investors with certainty over how these new networks will be regulated…They will ensure that all communications providers interested in delivering high-speed broadband have equal opportunities to invest in telecoms infrastructure for new build properties.”
Under the proposals, Ofcom said it is encouraging communications providers, property developers, and the utilities industries to work together to develop standards for the new networks in new buildings. Accordingly, Ofcom said it wants to wants to standardise wholesale telecoms products to make the deployment of such fibre-based products attractive to property developers. The regulator also said it wants to provide a clear regulatory message to all communication providers while ensuring flexibility during roll-out of new fibre-based products; adding that appropriate consumer protection measures should also be in place to guarantee services such as emergency calls.
Meanwhile, Ofcom has announced a sample survey of the U.K.'s existing underground telecoms infrastructure and the potential of its use for fibre roll-out.
