UK Users Bash Broadband Regs

LONDON -- Pierre Danon’s departure from BT and the collapse of the regional aggregation bodies (ADITs) highlights the inherent problems in making the UK a true broadband country, believes the UK’s leading independent campaign . . .

“The UK has 'bet the farm' on 'competition' as the means of delivering broadband Britain but that’s only half the story” says Erol Ziya of the Access to Broadband Campaign. “It is vital that the right basis is used to ensure the maximum benefits from competition.”

ABC argues that OFCOM's strategy is to see competition as the only solution. This leads to OFCOM trying to force greater access to BT's network for competing networks. The flaw in this 'bash BT = better for competitors = better for consumers (eventually)' is that the competing networks are operating in the same old world model as BT.

“It is not enough to increase competitors’ access to BT's network. What should be the goal is to increase END USERS access to ALL networks. OFCOM seem oblivious to this,” adds Ziya.

Anywhere there is competing network infrastructure then whichever network is most able to carry the traffic should carry it (and gain the revenue for its carriage). This is perfectly possible in an internet-driven world and actually pretty trivial at a technical level.

The current indirect/ trickle down approach whereby network operators 'pre capture' traffic through specific deals with 'volume players' (such was the intention with the regional aggregation boards) is simply too slow and too inefficient to push the UK to the forefront in the digital world.

To really lead the world the UK needs to create network competition where traffic is automatically routed onto any competing network most able to carry the traffic, with revenue attributed to those networks that carry the most traffic (in proportion to how much they carry).

The Government has a vital role in forcing the creation of such a UK internal IP network as the UK's biggest purchaser of IP transit within the UK. This is the true 'aggregation challenge' facing the UK. So far there seems to be no recognition of these issues within government.

The Government and OFCOM need to take a leading role in installing this vision of a TRULY competitive UK wide IP transit system immediately.

Access to Broadband Campaign (ABC)