- The Openreach Monitoring Unit (OMU) and Ofcom find that BT/Openreach are adhering to their “Commitments” under the Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review.
- Alternative network operators warn that ongoing concerns over operational practices—such as exchange closures and fibre rollout—require continued oversight.
What happened: Openreach remains independent from BT and meets regulatory obligations
Ofcom publishes its latest annual Openreach monitoring report, in which the regulator confirms that Openreach is operating independently from BT in line with the legal separation introduced in 2017. The Openreach Monitoring Unit (OMU), established under the Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review (WFTMR), found that BT and Openreach continue to demonstrate compliance in what it called a “proactive and vigilant manner.” The OMU was set up specifically to monitor governance issues following industry concerns about BT’s influence over Openreach’s network decisions.
Although Ofcom is mostly satisfied, some industry participants—particularly UK alternative network operators (altnets)—raise concerns about certain Openreach actions. These include the programme for closing local exchanges and the pace and manner of its Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) rollout. The Independent Networks Cooperative Association (INCA), which represents many altnets, has previously argued that Openreach’s operational decisions can have market-wide effects. Ofcom reiterated that it will not hesitate to intervene should Openreach fail to maintain compliance.
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Why it is important
Since Openreach occupies almost all of the fixed broadband infrastructure in the UK, maintaining its regulatory compliance is crucial. Receiving unrelated to BT is vital to promoting fair competition. By implementing the Commitments and governance standards created under the WFTMR, Ofcom, the UK’s statutory communications regulator, plays an important part in defending competition. This work further endorses the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology’s strategy, that’s describes the UK government’s policy towards expanding out gigabit broadband nationwide by 2030.
For smaller providers, who count on access to Openreach’s ducts, poles, and wholesale services for developing networks, ongoing oversight particularly significant. Altnets maintain that options for fibre deployment or exchange closures could influence investment and competition. Keeping identical enforcement not only strengthens investor confidence but also facilitates connectivity in remote locales, where Openreach’s competitors have remained restricted. Ofcom demonstrated stability and attentiveness in a market that is essential to the UK’s digital future by certifying Openreach’s compliance today.
