Ofcom releases FTTH battery backup guidance

Ofcom has published new guidelines on battery backup systems designed to protect fibre optic broadband customers in the event of a power cut.

Households connected to fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband may enjoy the fastest speeds, but the technology offers one significant drawback - if the power goes off, the telephone will stop working.

This is because optical fibres do not conduct electricity, unlike the copper infrastructure used to support less advanced broadband services, the regulator explained.

As a result, if an emergency - such as a fire - was to happen, householders with FTTH connections could find themselves unable to dial for help from their landline.

Consequently, Ofcom has proposed that a battery backup with a minimum duration of one hour should always be provided to support telephone usage. Providers were also told to take additional steps to meet the needs of vulnerable customers.

The issue is set to become more important due to the growing popularity of FTTH, with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development revealing earlier this month that connections rose by 3.5 per cent in the first half of 2011.