NEWS
Ofcom has revealed an action plan to establish what must be done to encourage telcos to invest in next-generation fibre networks.
The regulator is also aiming to raise awareness around super-fast broadband and what consumers can expect from fibre networks.
Broadband from A to Z
Click on the links below to find out more...
A is for ADSL
B is for BT
C is for Cable & Wireless
D is for Dial-up
E is for Education
F is for Fibre
G is for Goonhilly
H is for HSDPA
I is for In-flight
J is for Janet
K is for Kingston
L is for Landlines
M is for Murdoch
N is for Next generation
O is for Ofcom
P is for Power lines
Q is for Quad-play
R is for Remote working
S is for Satellite phones
T is for Trains
U is for Unbundling
V is for VoIP
W is for WiMax
X is for Xbox
Y is for YouTube
Z is for Zombies
Areas Ofcom is looking at include pricing freedom for telcos to reflect risk of deploying fibre and to allow them generate sufficient return on investment.
Understanding the scope for competition based on access to existing telecoms infrastructure is another area the regulator will be focusing on.
Ofcom will also provide clearer information to investors on how it will be flexible around existing rules - originally designed for copper implementation - regarding fibre rollout.
Ofcom is also working on ensuring newly built homes are equipped with fibre connections rather than traditional copper - such deployments are already happening in Belfast, Kent, London and Salford.
Meanwhile, BT recently pledged to spend £1.5bn on next-generation broadband as long as Ofcom changes the regulatory environment to make such investment worthwhile.
Ofcom has said the rollout of fibre-based broadband - which could offer speeds of up to 100Mbps - should bring fast web access to communities previously unable to benefit from high speed internet access. As a result, the action plan will also cover the role the public sector could play in targeting regions where telcos are less likely to install new networks.
An Ofcom consumer panel recently recommended areas that missed out on the first wave of broadband rollout should be the first to benefit from next-generation networks.
Chinyelu Onwurah, head of telecoms technology at Ofcom, said: "These are very exciting times for the telecoms industry. The move to super fast networks is probably the biggest development in telecoms infrastructure we've ever seen."
She added: "Ofcom really wants to know what Britain thinks about super-fast broadband and kick off a debate."
Comments
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1. Chris Walker
Ordinary broadband would be nice first. I have just had to have my 512K link downgraded to a slower speed because the quality of line that it uses is so bad that it cannot maintain 512k and keeps aborting the connection. What about all those who cannot get broadband at all.
2. Alistair Thomas
A 1-2 MBit connection is life changing. Web access, email, remote working, S/W updates, music downloads etc, even gaming: all become usable or even smooth. VOIP, Video streaming and other intensive media apps that need 4 MBit plus are nice to have, but there are other traditional services in place which will do if these new services are not available or too expensive.
Why do I have to pay the same for my 1MBit rural Upto8MBIt service as urban folk pay for their 4MBit+ version of the same service? Broadband should charged for what you get, not what the ISP "trys" to provide.
So, if Ofcom wants to narrow the digital divide, they should tax those services above 2 MBit expressly to fund those areas that lack any reasonable service. They should get HMRC to provide tax benefits for companies to deploy broadband, support remote working etc, and not just allow tax free gifts, but enhance gifts to local communities/schools from tax revenues. In short, incentivise those activities that move us towards their/our goal.
And as for Gordon Brown giving computers away to the needy (different story I know), it would be better to enhance local shared facilities in libraries and community centres unless you want to find car boot sales with computers sold to gain funds for the basics like fags, beer or even food, fuel or clothes. I wish Labour would stop fiddling and fix the economy or at least stop making it worse. Nice "fluffy" ideas just show how disconnected they really are.
3. Chris Stening
It is good to see Ofcom taking the lead on the UK’s next generation broadband infrastructure. In particular, the need to secure a viable return on investment for the industry has long been a hurdle. However, while regulation is showing signs of moving forward, investment and in particular delivery of any kind of national fibre network is still a long way off.
It’s important not to forget that businesses have a very real need for fast reliable internet connections here and now, and small businesses in particular, who cannot afford to lease their own fibre lines today, certainly can’t wait for the fibre network. They need cost-effective, scalable, and fast internet connections now. Fortunately, with continual product innovations improving both download and upload speeds (with symmetrical uncontended 20Mbps connections now possible), SDSL and bonded SDSL services are more than capable of delivering this. But more importantly, since the infrastructure is already in place, it is available to nearly everyone who wants it today.
While discussions for a fibre network may continue on into the future, SDSL is more than capable of meeting our requirements until it gets here.
4. anonymous
About time. While we regulate the provision of old fashioned copper, the fibre optic system currently remains the monopoly of one man!