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Hull-based network operator KCOM, which has already deployed their own Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network across a big chunk of East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, has today quietly published their first terms and pricing details for a new PIA solution. The product allows rivals to run new fibre via the operator’s existing cable ducts and poles.
At present, the Macquarie-backed KCOM is still deemed by Ofcom to hold Significant Market Power (SMP) in the Hull area only and its full fibre (FTTP) lines have already covered virtually all local homes and businesses. The operator has since also expanded their fibre into other parts of East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire (England) – covering a total of 305,000 premises.
In an ideal world, KCOM’s local rivals (MS3, Connexin etc.) would also love to run at least some of their own fibre cables via the incumbents existing cable ducts and poles. Not only would this reduce their civil engineering costs and speed up deployments, but it would also help to avoid some of the anti-pole protests that have impacted a few recent deployments.
However, while this approach works well with Openreach’s regulated Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product across other parts of the UK, it’s long been a different story with KCOM. The law does require KCOM to fairly share access to their existing infrastructure in Hull (ATI Regulations). But rival operators expecting the same level of access, flexibility and affordability as the regulated PIA solution from Openreach have often run into problems with KCOM’s confidential commercial terms, which up until recently were allegedly placing an unfeasibly high price on access.
The situation meant that KCOM’s rivals often ended up having to build lots of new infrastructure, such as poles, which, as above – tended to irritate local communities because quite a lot of the area had previously only ever had underground cables. But between 2023 and 2024 this became somewhat of a political issue (here, here and here), which ultimately ended up placing greater pressure on KCOM to produce a PIA-alike solution.
Sharing infrastructure
In response, KCOM eventually reached an agreement with Connexin and MS3 to co-develop a new pathway to accessing their existing ducts in order to run new fibre (i.e. limiting the need for new poles). Initial trials of this are still understood to be ongoing (here and here) and the project is still very much in its infancy.
The good news today is that KCOM appears to have released the first detailed product descriptions, T&Cs and even pricing details of their own KPIA product into the public domain (here). Interestingly, the first PIA Reference Offer (PDF) document for this is currently dated for the 1st August 2025 (pricing here), which suggests that it may still be in draft form ahead of a full launch and is thus likely still subject to change.
A spokesperson for MS3 told ISPreview:
“Eight years since MS3 first asked to share KCOM infrastructure using the ATI process, we are pleased that finally KCOM has launched a sharing product and for the first time published an associated price list.
Despite being the only active other party in the Joint Working Group helping to shape this framework, today is the first time we have seen this full price list and it will take us some time to understand whether the product and prices are fair and comparable to other providers, such as Openreach, where MS3 has successfully deployed tens of thousands of homes in towns such as Scunthorpe and Grimsby using existing poles and ducts.
We hope that the introduction of this Reference Offer will not slow down our current sharing trial with KCOM, where another 3,000 homes are due to have choice of network provider for the first time in the coming weeks.”
As we’ve said before, the first iteration of the KCOM-PIA product is still likely to reflect quite a manual process (akin to Openreach’s early approach from about a decade ago) and some of its costs, such as for Network Adjustments, look as if they could work out to be a fair bit more expensive. But it’s hard to judge this properly today and we’ll need to take a deeper dive into the details and fine print.
The other catch in all this is that it comes at a time when Connexin is in the process of being acquired by CityFibre (i.e. future expansion across Hull are uncertain and had already been on somewhat of a pause). At the same time, MS3, which is currently dealing with wider financial / market pressures (like many altnets), has reduced its build in order to focus on greater commercialisation of what they’ve already built (in Hull specifically they’ve already covered around 130k premises RFS).
Ofcom are also preparing a separate Telecoms Access Market Review 2026 (TAR) specifically for the Hull area, which will no doubt take a closer look at KCOM’s solution. But the first proposals under that won’t be published for quite a few months. Nevertheless, the above move by KCOM does represent progress, even if it is the sort of development that would have had more impact 2-3 years ago and is now arriving a bit late to the party.