The UK Government will shortly attempt to deliver on their pledge to “end the deployment of unnecessary telegraph poles” (here) by publishing an updated Code of Practice for broadband operators to follow, which will set out new guidance on the divisive issue. We now have a good idea of what that new code will include.
Just to recap. The deployment of poles (usually made of wood or metal) to run overhead fibre is a common practice (over 4 million have already been built). This is because they’re quick and cost-effective to build (several times cheaper than trenching), can be deployed in areas where there may be no space or access agreement to safely put new underground cables, are less disruptive (avoiding the noise, access restrictions and damage to pavements of street works) and can be built under Permitted Development (PD) rights with only minimal prior notice.
The previous government, driven by its targets for expanding gigabit-capable broadband infrastructure, even facilitated such deployments by cutting red tape to help make the work as easy as possible. This has contributed to the currently rapid roll-out of Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based gigabit broadband networks across the UK, which can now be done in a much more cost-efficient way.
On the flip side, not everybody is a fan of poles (particularly those living in areas that haven’t had them before), which has caused a sharp rise in complaints and protests from residents in various parts of the UK. The complaints usually highlight their negative visual appearance, as well as concerns about exposure to damage from major storms, a lack of effective prior consultation, duplication of existing infrastructure or engineers that fail to follow safety rules while building etc.
In response to this the government has been working with network operators to “revise” the existing Code of Practice (linked above) in a way that would, as Sir Chris Bryant (Telecoms Minister) put it, require providers to “pay greater attention to the communities’ concerns” and to build underground wherever possible (operators already do this as it’s the most cost-effective approach, albeit only when available to them).
On top of that, they’ve also been supporting a push for greater infrastructure sharing, such as via INCA’s project (here and here).
What’s in the new code?
Until the new code is published, which is expected very soon, we won’t know the exact details. But ISPreview has spent some time speaking to our industry sources, and as a result we now have a rough idea of what to expect when the code is finally published.
The first draft version of the updated Code was presented, through the industry-wide Poles Working Group (jointly run by INCA and the ISPA), to the government just before Christmas and network operators have since been working through the Telecoms Minister’s comments on that. A revised document is then expected to be presented to the Minister in the “next few weeks” and regular meetings have also been taking place at other levels of government (DSIT).
The revised code, as currently drafted, is not expected to deliver any major changes, but it will focus on ensuring that network operators communicate better with communities (identifying areas where this is needed). The Code is also expected to be presented alongside a bigger push for infrastructure sharing between alternative network operators (see the links to INCA’s project above).
Furthermore, the new Code will introduce clearer rules on where not to site poles, as well as guidance on what to do with pole complaints and where re-siting is appropriate. On top of that, the Code will include an industry commitment to consider pole impact during the planning and installation stages, as well as a commitment to consider utilising existing poles.
Sources have informed ISPreview that Sir Chris Bryant appears to be seeking an outcome that would result in no more pole complaints, which operators broadly view as being “unrealistic” in the current climate of rapid network build. Plenty of questions also remain over how the changes will be enforced (i.e. Ofcom have very limited powers in this area) and key points are still subject to change.
On the issue of infrastructure sharing, INCA’s Infrastructure Sharing Group (ISG) recently produced a first draft of a new sharing framework, which is still being reviewed by its members and is expected to launch toward the end of this quarter. The scope of this is understood to have been narrowed to look at sharing non-Openreach poles, rather than ducts, but the exact details are still being refined.
The government clearly have a difficult balancing act to perform. On the one hand, they need to ensure that the concerns raised by various communities are not simply ignored and have some impact, while on the other hand they must avoid implementing any measures that might risk damaging the wider roll-out and cost models. The latter would risk their ambitions for making a “renewed push to fulfil the ambition of full gigabit and national 5G coverage by 2030” (here).
