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Ofcom announces super-fast plans
Tuesday 23rd March 2010, by Daniel King
The super-fast broadband party is on its way and everyone's invited.
Or at least should be, according to Ofcom.
The body, which is the communications regulator for the UK, announced a number of new proposals today (March 23rd) that are aimed at bringing top-of-the-range internet access to the whole country.
BT has started rolling out its own high-speed service - BT Infinity - as part of a £1.5 billon investment package and hopes ten million homes in the UK will benefit from the fibre optic technology by 2012.
In addition, Virgin Media is following hot on its footsteps, hoping to start delivering a 100Mb service at the end of the year.
And Ofcom reckons BT's fibre lines are opened up to its rivals to ensure more consumers get the super-fast option.
But not for free, in an act of good will - BT should charge for their wholesale products, just like it did with its copper-based telephone network, it suggested.
Furthermore, the regulator wants BT to offer other broadband providers access to its underground ducts and telephone poles to boost competition between companies by making it cheaper to build their own fibre optic networks.
But what about the consumer?
Well, Ofcom went on to propose putting in locally-specific price controls to reduce the risk of people having to pay excessive amounts of money for the services.
Chief executive Ed Richards commented: "Super-fast broadband is starting to be a reality in the UK, with very significant advances in recent months in the speeds some providers are offering."
"Ofcom's proposed regulations provide a framework for continued investment, to deliver further roll-out, competition and innovation for consumers," he continued.
Categories: Broadband, BT, Virgin Media
