- Ofcom will continue to regulate BT Openreach for another five years
- 80Mbps speeds will be price capped (up from 40Mbps)
- The copper network is being phased out
Britain is set to regulate the BT Openreach broadband network for another five years (until 2031), Ofcom has confirmed, with Openreach deemed to still have significant market power hence the continued regulation.
However, the intricacies of the deal spell a different story, with higher-speed broadband remaining unregulated in order to encourage investment and development.
That said, the price cap will expand to cover higher speeds (80Mbps), up from 40Mbps, meaning consumers should have affordable access to quicker download speeds.
Ofcom spells out the next five years of UK broadband
Per the latest figures, more than three-quarters (78%) of UK homes now have full-fiber access, up from a tiny 6% in 2018. Similarly, 87% of premises have access to gigabit broadband, Ofcom states.
However, more than one in five (22%) UK homes still lack access to full-fiber, hence Ofcom's plans to focus on completing rollout in harder-to-reach areas rather than increase the speeds of those who can access it. "The next frontier for fibre is customers taking it up, with more than half of those eligible for an upgrade yet to make the change," the regulator added.
And given the full-fibre rollout, Ofcom believes Openreach shouldn't be responsible for paying to keep two networks open at the same time, thus the old copper network is being phased out.
"Five years ago, we put in place new rules to drive competition between networks and get them building full-fibre broadband, which now reaches nearly eight in 10 homes and offices across country," Director for Infrastructure and Connectivity Natalie Black wrote.
"But our mission isn’t yet complete, and we’re creating the right conditions for the fibre rollout in its final phase."
