BT calls for access to state-funded broadband networks

The government is taking an active stand in revitalising the broadband scene in the UK with the Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) project. Among others, the goal of the program is to level out the playing field between operators for the benefit of Britain’s broadband infrastructure. Moreover, the program envisions to provide universal broadband access to the entire UK by 2012. Through BDUK, the government is also pushing for next-generation broadband access to at least ninety percent of Britain by the year 2015.

Working with the government to meet these goals is BT Broadband. The broadband giant has been deploying fibre since early this year to meet the target date of completion of their roll-out by 2014. BT had initially announced the their fibre roll-out would be done by 2015, but the date was pushed back a full year because they were working ahead of schedule.

BT has made considerable progress in deploying fibre for their Fibre-to-the-Premises service. Thus far, BT has managed to roll out 100Mbps broadband connections to at least ten exchanges as of late November.

However, BT is currently displeased with how some of the recipients from the government’s BDUK fund are managing their networks. The firm has asserted that broadband networks that have been publicly funded but do not offer wholesale access are “legally questionable.”

Over £530 million in funds has been set aside from the BBC licence fee in order to subsidise broadband roll-out in areas where deployment would not have been commercially feasible.

This was BT’s response to the government’s Communications Review. BT stated that it was “crucial” for telecommunications firms to have wholesale access to public networks, as they have done so themselves with their own networks.

BT also encouraged the Conservative-led coalition to make sure that the procurement process to improve the public broadband networks be as efficient as possible. BT said that the system must push for state money “in the most cost-effective way and ensure competition and consumer choice.”