Ofcom says plan for competitive broadband market by 2031 on track

The UK is on the road to having a truly competitive broadband market within six years as other providers dilute the influence of its largest player, the country’s telecommunications regulator has indicated. Ofcom said that restrictions placed on BT’s Openreach—which hosts 71 percent of customers according to New Street Research—could be reduced after 2031 because of the expansion of rival networks, including Virgin Media 02 and CityFibre. The broadband market was on a “path to deregulation”, Ofcom networks director Natalie Black said, adding the regulator could remove restrictions if there was enough “sustainable competition” between providers. Ofcom’s draft proposals maintain several restrictions on Openreach—which the regulator deems still has “significant market power”—in an effort to drive competition.