With the vast majority of new builds already connected to fibre, updated rules may not have a material impact on operators, developers or network deployments
New homes in England will be built with gigabit connectivity: On 6 January 2023, DCMS confirmed amendments to the Building Regulations 2010, which aim to ensure that new homes built in England come equipped with infrastructure capable of delivering gigabit (i.e. 1Gbps) broadband services. Gigabit broadband is now available to over 72% of UK premises, enabling millions to work from home or stream entertainment content across multiple devices simultaneously. However, DCMS data suggests that 12% of homes – around 25,300 – still did not have access to a full fibre connection upon construction in a typical year. The updated regulations, which came into force on 26 December 2022, will avoid the need for people to undertake costly and disruptive installation work after their home is built, and enable residents to sign up to the best possible internet service as soon as they move in.
Laws will make broadband upgrades easier for tenants: In parallel, another new law has come into force in England and Wales, which will make it easier to install faster internet connections in multi-dwelling units (MDUs) when landlords repeatedly ignore requests for access from telecoms operators. Previously, landlord permission was required for a telco engineer to gain access – yet around 40% of requests received no response. The Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Act (TILPA), also in effect since 26 December, makes it easier for broadband providers to gain access to install equipment in blocks of flats, when a faster connection is requested by a tenant. The law does so by creating a new route through the courts that operators can use to access MDUs. DCMS estimates that an extra 2,100 residential buildings a year will be connected as a result, potentially benefiting nine million people.
Almost all new builds already come connected to a gigabit network: Under the updated building rules, home developers are legally required to future-proof new builds in England with gigabit broadband access as standard. Connection costs will be capped at £2,000 per home for developers, who must install gigabit-ready infrastructure (e.g. chambers, ducts and termination points) and the next fastest connection if they’re unable to secure a gigabit connection within the cap. DCMS estimates that 98% of premises fall within this cap, meaning moving into a new build property without very high-speed broadband will become a thing of the past for most people. Interestingly, third-party data suggests that the 98% ‘target’ was already being achieved before the legislation came into effect. Due to partnerships between developers and operators, 99% of new homes have access to gigabit broadband via cable or fibre. The revised regulations may therefore not have a material impact on deployments, but they represent a minimum expectation on home builders at the very least.
