United Kingdom - Broadband - Fixed Network Overview - Background Report September 2010

Synopsis

The UK’s broadband infrastructure is characterised by excellent cross-platform competition, with comprehensive DSL complemented by cable networks which reach about half of all households. The DSL network has been upgraded during the last few years as a result of BT’s migration to its new 21CN, and by August 2010 about five million users could access wholesale ADSL2+. Virgin Media has emerged as the best provider in terms of realised speeds – during 2010 the company has rolled out a 100Mb/s service across much of its footprint, and it intended to launch a 200Mb/s service in 2011. In addition, BT’s FttC/VDSL service should cover 66% of the population by 2015. The market remains fiercely competitive as a result of regulatory measures to provide competitor access to BT’s exchanges, while during 2010 similar measures were undertaken to ensure equal access on fibre networks. Broadband has also been characterised by falling prices and by a gradual increase in average data speeds, which reached 8Mb/s by mid-2010. This report provides an analysis of the UK broadband market in 2010, covering DSL, HFC and fibre technologies and deployments, and including a range of important statistics and an assessment of Next Generation Access developments. This report contains information additional to the separate Focus Report United Kingdom - Broadband - Fixed Network Statistics and Forecasts, which provides regularly updated statistics as well as further commentary and analysis on new market developments and forecasts to 2020.