Ofcom warns BT that internet status quo is likely to change as Vodafone, TalkTalk and Sky pile on the pressure
OFCOM yesterday said Britain is doing well in rolling out superfast broadband compared with other major European economies, yet it added that the status quo in the industry is likely to be altered.
Service providers, such as TalkTalk and Sky, have demanded that Openreach, which provides the infrastructure connecting people to the internet, be spun off from BT.
Ofcom chief executive Sharon White is currently reviewing BT’s provision of superfast broadband, and said in a report that one option was “the structural separation” of Openreach from BT. Other options included more deregulation.
Read more: Ofcom communciations review: What next for BT, Openreach, Sky and the telecoms market?
Pointing to Ofcom’s positive comments on the roll-out, BT said: . “We believe the current model works extremely well but there is always room for improvement and for deregulation given the UK market is now far more competitive than it was a decade ago.”
Last month the chief executive of BT Openreach Joe Garner handed in his notice, after he was offered a job leading high street lender Nationwide.
But TalkTalk boss Dido Harding said: “It is obvious to everyone that the status quo is unsustainable. We need bold, radical changes if customers are to enjoy the high speed, low-cost internet infrastructure they deserve.”