BT cuts prices for broadband pole and duct access

BT Openreach has announced updated prices for access to its pole and duct infrastructure to help other internet service providers (ISPs) roll out broadband in some of the nation's remotest regions.

BT issued its pricing plans in January for feedback from ISPs and Ofcom, and has reduced some charges by up to 60 per cent based on these responses.

The price for telegraph pole access has fallen from £21 per pole to £8 or £15 depending on the number of connections, while duct access has been cut from £1.16 to as low as 44p per metre per year, based on the number of cables the duct can carry.

Lead-in duct access, the last few metres of a connection to the customer's premises, has fallen from £2.12 per metre to £1.34.

Ofcom said it was satisfied with the new pricing structure and that it was confident it would help improve the broadband landscape in the UK.

"This [update] follows Ofcom's decision last year to require Openreach to offer other communications providers access to its network of ducts and poles to encourage investment and competition in next generation broadband," it said.

"We expect Openreach's announcement to be important to enable communications providers to participate in the process of bidding for public funds to deploy networks in the 'final third' of the country."