News
Openreach’s newly appointed CEO, Clive Selley, has called on the UK government to reduce the regulatory barriers hindering broadband rollout
In a recent blog post, Selley highlighted that despite the Project Gigabit funding, which aims to extend gigabit-capable broadband to thousands more premises, nearly a million homes could miss out due to outdated planning rules. These rules require property owners to give explicit permission for broadband upgrades, even when an existing line is already in place. This particularly affects residents of apartment blocks or “multi-dwelling units” (MDUs), where locating landlords and securing their agreement remains challenging.
Selley’s comments follow an announcement this week that Openreach will receive up to £800 million in funding to bring gigabit-capable broadband to 312,000 premises across the UK. This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to enhance digital infrastructure, especially in rural areas. Openreach has pledged to deliver Ultrafast Full Fibre Broadband to 25 million homes and businesses by 2026, and to 30 million by the end of the decade.
“Every year, we apply for around 300,000 permits to carry out work on a street-by-street basis. But it’s no secret that the pandemic, global events, and the current economic climate have left local authorities stretched. As a result, delays in obtaining permissions are common, causing knock-on effects on broadband upgrades,” Selley explained.
To meet government delivery targets, the number of applications is likely to double over the next few years, which Selley warned would place an “unnecessary bureaucratic burden on everyone involved.”
“A simple fix, at no cost to the taxpayer, would be to introduce flexible permitting, allowing builders to upgrade multiple streets at once,” he added.
Selley’s sentiments align with those of BT CEO Allison Kirkby, who, speaking at the Deloitte and Enders Media and Telecoms Conference in London in June, noted that Scandinavian countries are “way ahead” of the UK in terms of telecoms infrastructure. Kirkby attributed this to the regulatory and planning environment, as well as the widespread adoption of digital skills and services, and urged the UK government to enhance “regulatory and fiscal policy certainty.”
Join Openreach at this year’s Connected Britain, 11-12 September in London. Get discounted tickets here!
Also in the news:
LG and KT partner for 6G research
EE’s first 5G small cells go live, masts now deployed at 1,000+ locations across the UK
Optus clashes with AustralianSuper over slow tower build