access to its pole and duct networks
The report carried out for Ofcom recognised, though, that not all ducting will be physically capable of being shared. “Unoccupied duct-end space will not directly translate into useable duct space for a communication provider (CP) willing to use the ducts since a duct might have collapsed in the middle of a section [or] the cable arrangement far into the duct may be such that existing cable cross-over may prevent any further cables being inserted in cable duct the duct,” said that report.
That survey found that 85% of poles could accommodate more cable trunking wires and that 63% of them could accommodate double the number of wires that were currently on them.
Ofcom will also force BT to share space on new optical cables that it lays so that competing blackjack flash companies, as well as it, can offer superfast broadband services.
“With super-fast broadband now available to around half of UK households, roll-out here is wiring duct ahead of many countries, particularly in Europe,” said its report on the issue. “To support the future development of the market, it is important that we now focus on defining in detail what regulations may be needed to support continued investment and competition.”
“At this early stage in the development of super-fast broadband, other communications companies indicate that they may prefer initially to be able to deliver services over BT’s network rather than build their own,” it said. “Therefore we propose that BT should make wholesale virtual unbundled wire duct local access (VULA) available to other communications companies on the same basis as to itself.”
