Ofcom to let BT set own prices for fibre broadband

BT should set its own wholesale prices for broadband in an effort to speed up investment in optical fibre networks, the telecoms watchdog said today.

CEO Ed Richards said there was enough competition from interested companies and technologies to let the broadband market discipline BT. Ofcom will also encourage network operators to share investment risk by partnering with each other.

Richards, announcing a formal consultation on the proposals, said a number of new players were keen to enter the market, but did not say who they were because of commercial confidentiality.

In January, Virgin Media announced it would roll-out a 50Mbit/s fibre network that would bring high-speed newtwork access to about 50% of UK homes by 2010.

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-Ken