Ofcom Gives Openreach Green Light to Hike Copper Prices in Ultrafast Areas
UK regulator Ofcom has given Openreach permission to increase copper prices in areas where ultrafast broadband is available to at least 90% of premises. This change will allow Openreach to price out customers who are still using copper services, as it moves towards retiring its copper network.
The change comes into effect from April 1st, 2029, and will apply to exchange areas where ultrafast broadband speeds exceeding 300 Mbps are available to at least 90% of premises. This is a significant move for Openreach, which has been working towards replacing its copper network with fibre-optic cables.
Ofcom's decision follows an extensive consultation earlier this year, during which many market players lobbied for a different approach to pricing. However, the regulator stuck to its guns and maintained that 90% threshold, which will ultimately help Openreach retire its copper in a timely fashion.