Ofcom looks to open up sewers for fibre deployment

Deployment of the UK's next-generation broadband networks could be fast-tracked through the use of national sewer networks, according to Ofcom.

The regulator is conducting a survey of the country's underground ducts to see if they might be used to carry fibre cables, which can offer broadband speeds of up to 100Mbit/s. It will also investigate the possibility of using existing water and electric pipes to carry the networks.

The review will last six months, and forms part of Ofcom's wider strategy to ensure the swift roll-out of high-speed broadband to new housing built over the next 12 years. The regulator says that three million homes are forecast to be built by 2020, at a rate of roughly 240,000 per year.

"Super-fast broadband – next generation access and networks – are crucial to the UK's future," said Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards, in a speech to the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

"These networks form part of the critical infrastructure of the country's economy."

See also:

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The broadcaster is ignoring the problems caused by increased network traffic, says the ISP  09 Apr 2008

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Frequencies will be ideal for WiMax and 3G services, according to the regulator  04 Apr 2008

The sky is the limit for mobile phone calls

Hello? I'm on a plane! Telecoms regulator approves plans for in-flight calls  26 Mar 2008

Broadband up 20 per cent in a year

And mobile phones continue to win the battle with landlines, says Ofcom  21 Feb 2008

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