Dark fibre could be attractive option for broadband providers

A recent Lords report on the state of broadband provision in the UK suggested that opening up dark fibre to ISPs other than BT could help boost the spread of super-fast internet access in the UK.

Dark fibre - stretches of network not lit by any particular supplier - is provided as an end-to-end broadband route, with the user able to choose a provider from their end.

David Harrington, leader for regulatory affairs at the Communications Management Association (CMA), told PC Now that providing dark fibre is one of the primary problems of the current broadband situation in Britain.

"If dark fibre was mandated it would transform the situation completely," he argued, noting that it could have a major effect on the provision of rural broadband and how mobile companies offer internet access.

Furthermore, the CMA chief suggested that "every large corporate ... would immediately revisit its business case for leased lines" if more dark fibre network space was to become available.

Analysys Mason recently criticised the Lords report on broadband, indicating that insufficient funding is available to put its suggested measures in place.