BT may share ducts with rival broadband providers

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NEWS

BT has revealed it is in discussions with telecoms regulator Ofcom about opening access to its ducts and telegraph poles to other broadband providers so they can install their own next-generation broadband fibre lines.

While access to BT's fibre network is open to all operators, with BT Retail and any other ISPs that want to offer a fibre service buying access from BT's local access division, Openreach, the telco's competitors have complained this approach is not flexible enough.

Speaking in an interview with the Financial Times, BT chief executive Ian Livingston said: "We told Ofcom last year we're willing to provide open access to our ducts... and we are working with them on how to achieve it."

For more on this story, see BT fibre broadband: 'We'll open our ducts if you do' on silicon.com.

Talkback

Of course, one immediately wonders if BT jumped into this decision, or instead they were pushed? Anyway - life's too short, and people will hope that the increased competition will drive prices down. As you know, all the political parties to varying contents are putting considerable emphasis on improved broadband = better social mobility and equality, but that's an entirely different discussion; the ethic of information technology.

Shibley R 9 February, 2010 13:51
Reply

Economics alone dictate that use of a common single cable duct in streets is a sensible solution without regard to whose cables run in it.
Not just BT ducts, but also those of cable companies and any other such duct owners should be open to any authorised cable layers.
Ofcom, in consultation with duct owners, should decree a pricing system, probably based on duct/cable miles and a token charge per connected customer. All Telcos would then be working on a level playing field.
It would doubtless evolve into a "duct company" jointly owned by the user companies which would inherit all existing cable ducts. It would certainly speed up the spread of cable services and the expansion of very high speed broadband.

1000215420 9 February, 2010 20:32
Reply

But as some have already stated it has to apply to all not just a select few and this will involve them having to upgrading their own backbone systems in the given area, as so not to impeded the current standard of service already running.

The second worry will be to prevent the over saturation use of existing cabs/nodes/exchanges etc, If done correctly then all will be well, if done badly then it becomes a nightmare for us all.

This needs to be careful planned before jumping in feet first.

CA 11 February, 2010 16:34
Reply

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