UK Broadband: Ofcom's Plan to Drive Fibre Rollout Through Price Competition

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Ofcom has proposed that Britain maintain competition in the fast broadband sector to ensure full-fibre coverage reaches 96% of premises by 2027. The regulator also suggested capping the price BT's Openreach can charge for slower broadband speeds up to 80Mbit/s, an increase from the current 40Mbit/s limit. 

Four years ago, Ofcom encouraged competition and made it easier for new companies to use Openreach's existing infrastructure, such as ducts and telegraph poles. These efforts helped expand full-fibre networks from under 25% of premises to almost 70%, according to Ofcom.

The regulator also proposed that prices for high-speed broadband products remain unregulated for five years starting in 2026. However, to protect consumers with copper-fibre connections up to 80Mbit/s, Ofcom suggested capping the fees Openreach can charge retail providers like Sky and TalkTalk. 

In more remote areas, where new commercial networks are less viable, Ofcom plans to support full-fibre investment by Openreach.

BT’s shares rose 0.5% on Thursday. Ofcom will consult on these proposals until June 12, with final decisions expected in March 2026.

Paraphrasing text from "Reuters" all rights reserved by the original author