Statement: Promoting investment and competition in fibre networks – Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review 2021-26
- Start: 06 November 2020
- Status: Closed
- End: 08 December 2020
Statement published 18 March 2021
This statement sets out Ofcom’s decisions for our regulation of the fixed telecoms markets that underpin broadband, mobile and business connections, for the period from April 2021 to March 2026. These decisions are designed to promote competition and investment in gigabit-capable networks – bringing faster, better broadband to people across the UK.
Update 15 July 2021 – Modification to the SMP conditions
Ofcom has today issued minor Modifications to the SMP conditions (PDF, 260.7 KB), together with a note explaining those modifications (PDF, 113.1 KB).
An unofficial consolidated version of the SMP conditions (PDF, 1.8 MB), which incorporates the modifications published on 31 March 2021 and those of 15 July 2021 has also been published today, for reasons of transparency.
Ofcom has today issued a Modification to the SMP conditions (PDF, 426.8 KB) and Direction 4 of the Quality of Service Directions. This is also available with the changed marked up (PDF, 385.8 KB).
We have published a statement explaining the Modification (PDF, 192.7 KB).
Main documents
Supporting documents
Annex 5: draft legal instruments (tracked changes) (PDF, 374.4 KB)
Annex 5: draft legal instruments (clean) (PDF, 365.8 KB)
Volume 1 – Overview, summary and introduction (PDF, 382.4 KB)
Cyfrol 1 – Trosolwg, crynodeb a chyflwyniad (PDF, 194.3 KB)
Volume 2 – Market assessment (PDF, 2.1 MB)
Volume 3 – Non-pricing remedies (PDF, 1.4 MB)
Volume 4 – Pricing remedies (PDF, 966.3 KB)
Volume 5 – Draft legal instruments (PDF, 1.5 MB)
Annex 24 – Fixed Telecom Access: Full Fibre Cost Modelling – a report by Cartesian (PDF, 1.8 MB)
Supporting documents
Schedule 2: WLA list of postcode sectors by geographic market (CSV, 59.2 KB)
Schedule 3: Leased lines access list of postcode sectors by geographic market (CSV, 68.9 KB)
Schedule 4: IEC list of exchanges by market (XLSX, 247.4 KB)
Letter from Openreach to Ofcom: WLR and ISDN2/30 voluntary commitment (PDF, 228.9 KB)
Openreach (Broadband experience) (PDF, 77.0 KB)
Openreach (Ethernet QoS) (PDF, 183.5 KB)
Cost models
Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review 2021-26 – consultation cost models (ZIP, 95.1 MB)
Updates, clarifications and corrections
Update 6 November 2020 – further consultation on proposed remedies
We have today published a further consultation (PDF, 494.8 KB) on some changes to our proposed remedies, which we have made following responses to our January 2020 consultation.
The closing date of this consultation is 8 December 2020. We expect to publish our final decision relating to the wholesale fixed telecoms market review by 31 March 2021.
Update 30 September 2020 – further clarification
In response to a query from Openreach, we have today published a clarification (PDF, 171.9 KB) on our proposed approach to setting prices for dark fibre services.
Update 12 May 2020 – follow-up to clarification published on 1 May 2020
In response to a stakeholder's query, we have today published a follow-up clarification (PDF, 159.2 KB) to that published on 1 May 2020 in relation to our Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review consultation.
Update 1 May 2020 – further clarifications
In response to a stakeholder's query, we have today published further clarifications (PDF, 146.6 KB) to our Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review consultation.
Update 30 April 2020 – extended deadline for responses
The original deadline for responses to these proposals was 1 April 2020, but with the coronavirus pandemic bringing significant challenges to the telecoms industry, we announced on 24 March that all consultation deadlines had been suspended until further notice.
Since then, we have remained in close contact with industry. Many companies have adapted to new ways of working and have a clearer picture of their capacity to contribute to this review. We are therefore confident that stakeholders should be in a position to finalise their responses shortly.
We are now accepting responses to the consultation up to 22 May 2020, including any new information which organisations that have already responded wish to provide.
Update 10 March 2020 – clarification on Area 2
In response to a stakeholder's query, we have today published a clarification on Area 2 (PDF, 200.2 KB) to our Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review consultation.
Update 28 February 2020 – corrections and clarifications
We have today published corrections and clarifications to our Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review consultation.
Responses
| Responder name | Type |
|---|---|
| [Response to November consultation] BUUK (PDF File, 144.3 KB) | Organisation |
| [Response to November consultation] CityFibre (PDF File, 538.2 KB) | Organisation |
| [Response to November consultation] CityFibre (Annex 1) (MS Excel Document, 111.8 KB) | Organisation |
| [Response to November consultation] Community Fibre (PDF File, 144.2 KB) | Organisation |
| [Response to November consultation] County Broadband (PDF File, 178.9 KB) | Organisation |