In our response to the DCMS Extending Full Fibre Networks consultation, ISPA sets out its support for the Government’s commitment to assist ISPs in their efforts to roll out fibre networks.
ISPA believes the single most important factor Government should prioritise is reducing the high costs and administrative burdens of existing regulatory barriers – such as agreeing wayleaves agreements and streetworks permits - which significantly increase the burdens for rolling out networks in the UK. A coordinated approach with a mixture of levers will also help our members, including a potential voucher scheme, demand aggregation and access to public sector networks, but removing regulatory barriers should be the number one Government priority.
Infrastructure investment and network rollout are market-led, so it is vital that Government clearly sets out how it intends to support the ongoing industry efforts and provides a clear roadmap to deliver this.
ISPA Chairman James Blessing said: “Government have reiterated their commitment to helping extend fibre networks, which is a welcome step. If Government really want to help our members, they should prioritise removing barriers to rollout. Government is right to pursue an ambitious approach for the UK’s communications infrastructure, but this will only be achievable if the barriers which hamper roll out are reduced.”
The full ISPA response can be found here.