BT accused of inflating its quotes for rural broadband

BT IS to be investigated by Ofcom over claims it has inflated quotes for installing broadband in rural areas, after one farmer said he had been told it could cost £100,000 to get a connection.

Everyone has the right to request access to a decent broadband connection under laws introduced two years ago that placed an obligation on BT to meet the needs of those in hard-to-reach areas. But customers have repeatedly reported receiving sky-high quotes.

Jim Webster, a farmer near Barrow-in-Furness, was asked to stump up more than £100,000 to have 10-megabit-per-second broadband. Similarly, villagers in a hamlet were quoted £500,000 for faster broadband. Residents from 29 households in Isel in Cumbria claimed that BT had left them “out in the cold”.

Ofcom said it was concerned about how BT was calculating some quotes, particularly where costs could be split across a number of homes in an area.

Under the rules of its universal provider obligations, BT must provide quotes to customers who request a connection with speeds of at least 10 Mbit/s. BT must provide the connection if it costs less than £3,400 and in the event of it exceeding that amount it must also install the service should the customer offer to pay the excess cost.

BT said: “We are disappointed that they have opened an investigation when we’re fully committed to working with both Ofcom and the Government to find better ways to connect the hardest to reach.” The company added that in some areas, even if costs were shared, the price would remain “out of reach”.