Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review: full fibre and 5G for the UK

POLICY

The UK Government has released The Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review (FTIR). This calls for connection of 15 million premises to full fibre broadband networks by 2025. The government plans to provide FTTP to the entire UK by 2033 and wants the majority of the population to have 5G coverage by 2027.

Philip Hammond

UK CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

The FTIR follows up from a speech by UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond earlier this year. The document points out that “full fibre and 5G are the long-term answer“ to consumer and business demands for speed, resilience and reliability. “5G will deliver faster and better mobile broadband, and enable revolutionary uses in industry sectors like manufacturing, health and transport.”

 

The UK Government plans to make £3 billion to £5 billion available to enable rollouts in potentially underserved areas. Several initiatives should enable the competitive ecosystem to reach as 90% of the country with fibre access. The Government plans to supply funding to support FTTP rollout to 10% of (mainly rural) premises that presumably won’t be provided with fibre within the target time frame.

 

“We want everyone in the UK to benefit from world-class connectivity no matter where they live, work, or travel,” said Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Secretary of State Jeremy Wright. “This radical new blueprint for the future of telecommunications in this country will increase competition and investment in full fibre broadband, create more commercial opportunities, and make it easier and cheaper to roll out infrastructure for 5G.

 

  • FTIR recommendations
  • Legislation to guarantee full fibre connections in new build developments
  • Increased access to spectrum for 5G services, Improved infrastructure access, Giving operators ‘right to entry’ to properties
  • Standardisation of processes to reduce time, expense and disruption
  • Regulatory reform to incentivise fibre network investment, tailored to different local market conditions
  • Industry-led switch from copper to fibre coordinated with UK regulator Ofcom
  • Unrestricted access to Openreach ducts and poles

Five key points from the strategy

  • Making the cost of deploying fibre networks as low as possible by addressing barriers to deployment, which both increase costs and cause delays
  • Supporting market entry and expansion by alternative network operators through easy access to Openreach’s ducts and poles, complemented by access to other utilities’ infrastructure (for example, sewers)
  • Stable and long-term regulation that incentivises competitive network investment
  • An ‘outside in’ approach to deployment that means gigabit-capable connectivity across all areas of the UK is achieved at the same time, and no areas are systematically left behind
  • A switchover process to increase demand for full fibre services

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© Copyright Prysmian Group.

All rights reserved.