Ofcom Probes BT Charges For Rural Broadband Connections
I think this sort of scrutiny is long overdue!
The British communications regulator Ofcom has confirmed it has begun an investigation of BT and its charges to install or upgrade rural broadband connections.
According to the Guardian newspaper, the investigation over whether BT is overcharging for connections comes after reports of people receiving quotes as high as £100,000.
At the moment, Openreach (which runs most of the UK’s broadband network), has a legal obligation (the universal service obligation’ or USO) to ensure that homes in the UK receive a minimum speed of 10Mbps.
MPs on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) have previously warned the government is not doing enough to tackle the digital divide between rural and urban areas,
The 10Mbps goal is deemed to be the minimum for modern internet requirements such as watching Netflix or playing Fortnite and other online games.
BT must bear the cost, up to a maximum of £3,400 of meeting this USO.
But in extremely rural areas, the cost of getting a viable broadband connection can be higher….much much higher.
In such cases BT will still connect a property with broadband if the consumer is willing to pay the excess amount assessed by the carrier.
The Guardian newspaper highlighted a number of cases where BT reportedly demanded huge connection charges.
In one case, a customer in High Peak, Cheshire, was quoted £100,000 to upgrade. Another, in Woodbridge, Suffolk, was quoted £70,000 to connect to 10Mbps broadband.