Comms regulator Ofcom is still not convinced that fibre
connections to the home are the best way to ensure UK users do not
fall behind in the broadband access stakes.
Ofcom chairman Lord Currie told telecom managers at the annual
Communications Management Association (CMA) conference that the
regulator was not convinced that fibre to the home was a viable
solution for the UK.
Countries including Japan, South Korea and the US are seeing
widespread fibre deployments to support better and faster broadband
access.
In addition, the Dutch government has decided to support the
eventual replacement of the country’s traditional phone exchanges
with fibre to the home deployments, being carried out by the likes
of incumbent comms firm KPN.
Earlier in the day, CMA chairman Carolyn Kimber called for Ofcom
and the government to
get behind fibre to the home, otherwise risk the UK slipping
behind other countries when it came to broadband access.
But Currie said, “We are considering a regulatory position to
cover fibre to the home but remain unconvinced about its
suitability to solve any access problems in the last mile
[experienced by DSL broadband].”
Currie said, “When ADSL first came along I was told the maximum
you could send down a copper wire was 1mbps. That has now increased
to 24mbps.
“The physics that dictate what you can send down copper seem to
be changing all the time.”
BT now offers a standard 8mbps connection to consumers with its
basic broadband offering, and is promising faster speeds within a
year for most users.
Currie said Ofcom would consider BT’s next move on speed and
performance with broadband over copper before considering whether
to get behind calls for wider UK fibre deployments. He said, “We
have to consider whether there is a real commercial opportunity
with fibre to the home before we step in.”
CMA calls for government to act on telecoms
Broadband stakeholder group
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