The UK regulator proposes a more flexible approach to withdrawing regulation on copper, in some cases ahead of March 2026.
Supporting the switchover to fibre: In January 2020, Ofcom set out proposals to reflect the gradual shift from copper to fibre networks, with a view to support the migration in a way that supports competition and investment, while at the same protecting consumers.
A more flexible approach: On 15 October 2020, Ofcom published a revised proposal on how the regulation of Openreach’s copper network should evolve during the transition. Ofcom’s initial proposal was to require Openreach to keep providing access to copper services up until March 2026. Given the speed of Openreach’s fibre rollout, Ofcom now believes that regulation on copper may be withdrawn ahead of that date where there are a limited number of customers on copper, and there are fibre services available.
The decision will be part of the new market review: Ofcom is consulting on the new proposal until 26 November 2020, and will publish its final statement by April 2021, as part of the Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review it is currently carrying out.
