BT hoping to publish duct and pole pricing shortly

BT has expressed hope that it will soon be able to publishe prices for wholesale access to infrastructure that will drive the rollout of fibre optic broadband.

Fujitsu is keen to push forward with plans to deploy a super-fast network to around five million properties in rural Britain, but will rely on gaining wholesale access to BT's system of underground ducts and telegraph poles to do so.

Speaking to BBC News, a BT spokesman explained the company is currently in talks with Ofcom regarding the matter and "hoped those discussions will be concluded shortly".

The comments come shortly after Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt urged BT to get a move on with publishing its pricing structure, arguing that the process is taking too long.

"I will be talking to Ofcom about any necessary steps to make this happen more quickly," he stated.

Any delays could cause the UK to fall behind other nations regarding the quality of its broadband infrastructure, Mr Hunt added.