News
The group calls for a more equitable access to Openreach’s infrastructure
Five UK altnets – nexfibre, AllPoints Fibre, Community Fibre, Gigaclear, and the newly merged Netomnia and Brsk – have established a new ‘PIA (Physical Infrastructure Access) Coalition’ to push for fairer access to physical infrastructure operated by Openreach.
The coalition will call on Ofcom do more to ensure a level playing field for access to Openreach passive infrastructure in its upcoming Telecoms Access Review.
Combined, the Coalition represents over 5 million premises passed with full fibre, making the Coalition one of the largest users of PIA.
Alongside the announcement of the Coalition’s formation, the group has also revealed the results of their collective analysis of Openreach’s PIA regulation, showing suggesting alternative operators pay significantly more to access ducts and poles than Openreach charges itself.
The group warn that, without action, competition and investment in the broadband market will be impacted in the long-term, which will threaten the progress of fibre-to-the-premise rollouts, damaging the UK’s ability to compete internationally.
“At the moment there is not a level playing field between Openreach and alternative network operators on PIA. Alternative network operators pay significantly more to access infrastructure compared to Openreach,” said Giles Rowbotham, spokesperson for the PIA Coalition, and General Counsel and Chief Development Officer at nexfibre in a press release.
“If left unremedied, this disparity risks choking investment, slowing down the rollout of high-speed broadband across the UK, and therefore limiting consumer choice. We’re calling on Ofcom to act in its upcoming market review to ensure a level playing field for all providers and fair and equal access to critical infrastructure,” he continued.
Ofcom’s upcoming Telecoms Access Review will set the rules for the next few years. The coalition hopes this review will fix the pricing issues, ensuring fair competition and continued investment in the UK’s fibre networks.
Join the altnets in discussion at this year’s Connected Britain, 11-12 September in London. Get your tickets here!
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