Ofcom panel: give rural areas fibre first

 

Gallery

By Barry Collins

Posted on 3 Sep 2008 at 17:29

Ofcom's Consumer Panel is prompting the regulator to "tackle the digital divide" by giving rural areas next-generation broadband first.

The Panel says those who missed out on the first first generation of broadband access should jump straight to the front of the queue for so-called next-generation access (NGA).

"We already know that the economic case for next-generation access will not stack up in some areas and we can predict which areas that will be," says Ofcom consumer panel chair, Anna Bradley. "So let's address these issues alongside commercial rollout, not after it."

The Panel - which is independent of the telecoms regulator itself - is clearly putting the onus on BT, which has announced plans to bring fibre to 10 million homes by 2012.

Speaking at the time, BT chief executive Ian Livingston said: "our aim is that urban and rural areas alike will benefit from our investment." However, the company also insisted the fibre rollout was dependent on "a supportive and enduring regulatory environment", which will likely include changes to its Universal Service Obligation, which requires it to offer fixed-line service at an affordable price for anyone in Britain.

However, Bradley says public and private bodies must consider innovative new ways of funding a fibre rollout, considering costs benefits of delivering NHS telemedicine to those in rural areas or education for marginalised communities.

"The UK is making some critical decisions about the delivery of next-generation broadband in the UK," Bradley says. "Consumers and citizens stand to gain a great deal, but the decisions need to be informed by a proper sense of the value next-generation networks can deliver, not just to companies and consumers, but to the economy and society as a whole."

BT says it's open to the idea of prioritising rural areas. "BT is as keen as anyone to find solutions for the very small amount of people who can't find broadband," a spokesman claims. "As far as our fibre rollout is concerned, we're looking for places that need it. If there was a rural hospital that needed fibre, for example, we'd be keen to talk to them."

Rural dwellers shouldn't hold their breath, however. Ofcom has a history of ignoring recommendations from its Consumer Panel, such as when it decided to allow broadband providers to continue advertising headline speeds earlier this year.