UK regulator wants BT to give better access to infrastructure

LONDON (Reuters) - British telecoms regulator Ofcom said it wanted new entrants in fibre-optic broadband to be able to access BT's telegraph poles and underground tunnels as easily as BT could do so itself to encourage investment in faster networks. Ofcom said in July it wanted to see a wider roll-out of ultra-fast fibre lines carried on the national network infrastructure operated by the former monopoly. The regulator said on Tuesday it was looking at measures to improve access to BT's tunnels and poles, allowing other providers to connect fibre broadband directly to UK homes and offices. "Our plans will give providers increased confidence to invest in their own full-fibre networks at reduced cost," said competition policy director Yih-Choung Teh. Ofcom's proposals include requiring BT to speed up site surveys, and making BT's network operator Openreach provide comprehensive data on the location of its poles and ducts. The regulator has increasingly said full-fibre connections are the answer to Britain's long-term broadband needs. BT, which is locked in negotiations with Ofcom about how it runs Openreach, is directing the majority of its investment into a mixture of fibre and copper connections. (Reporting by Paul Sandle, editing by Louise Heavens)