Ofcom says Openreach will further widen access

Broadband providers are to be granted more access to Openreach’s infrastructure to lay their own highspeed cables.

Under plans drawn up by industry regulator Ofcom, rival firms would be able to tap into the Openreach network to improve internet s p e e ds and r e duce prices for homes and businesses. The new measures could reduce rollout costs by half their current level.

T h e m e a s u r e s announced are particul arly f ocused on l arger businesses which require dedicated lines for their internet but can be limited in the choice of services available.

Rivals already have some access to the network of t unnels and poles. The rules already in place have mainly focused on homes rather than businesses. An Openreach spokesman said: “We share Ofcom’s desire to improve service across the industry.”