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INCA report makes six recommendations designed to remove barriers to fibre deployment.
Altnet lobby group the Independent Networks Corporation Association (INCA) on Thursday called on the U.K. government to set a target of extending fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) coverage to 80% of the population by 2026.
The U.K. should aim for near universal coverage by 2030, INCA said.
The ambitious target forms part of one of six recommendations set out by INCA in a new report titled Building Gigabit Britain, which is sponsored by Vodafone, Sky, FTTP operators CityFibre and Hyperoptic, leased lines provider WarwickNet, and fixed-wireless operator Relish.
"We urgently need to upgrade to pure fibre connections and government needs to act by setting the vision and framework to encourage competitive investment," said Malcolm Corbett, CEO of INCA, in a statement.
The coverage targets form part of recommendation number one: that the government should establish a ‘Gigabit Britain Strategy’, specifying its ambition for fixed-line infrastructure. It should draw up a new costing analysis of commercial FTTP deployment and encourage local authorities and devolved administrations to create their own Gigabit strategies.
Unsurprisingly, the industry group also called for Ofcom to ensure that BT’s Openreach arm does not inhibit investment by altnets, and that it commits to providing timely and effective access to its ducts and poles. INCA also wants an independent tribunal to resolve any disputes that crop up between Openreach and alternative operators.
"The altnets are doing a great job. Five years ago few of them existed, today they provide more than twice as many FTTP connections as BT and many more offer great wireless broadband services," said Corbett. "These are the people building Gigabit Britain and if we don’t encourage and support their much needed investment, the U.K.’s economic position will be put at risk."
INCA has also called on the government to scrap business rates on all new fibre assets for 10 years, reduce the notice period required for digging fibre on minor roads, take steps to prevent public money being spent on FTTP overbuild, and create an inventory of public infrastructure assets and make it available to network builders.
Finally, INCA also wants the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to make sure advertising of FTTP and hybrid copper/fibre products gives consumers accurate information.
"[The recommendations] if followed, will not only help the telecoms industry to meet and exceed their current deployment plans – without government subsidies – but will also ensure our nation’s fibre infrastructure is future-proofed," Corbett said.
