UK fibre broadband rollout requires commitment, says Ofcom

The successful rollout of fibre broadband networks across the UK still faces a number of challenges that must be overcome if it is to succeed, according to Ofcom.

Speaking at the recent Total Telecom World Conference, chief executive of the watchdog Ed Richards said the "early fibre" era of broadband will involve significant commitments and risks from the government, regulators and service providers.

He noted that the transition from copper to fibre is "well underway" in many parts of the UK, with BT's fibre to the cabinet network upgrade scheme set to bring speeds of up to 80Mbps next year.

Recent figures from the company showed that 88,000 new customers signed up for the BT Infinity fibre broadband service in the third quarter, bringing its user base to 300,000.

However, Mr Richards noted that questions remain over which deployment methods are best for fibre broadband, while issues of cost and demand must also be addressed.

He said it could cost billions of pounds to deliver on "what many regard as the logical conclusion of near universal fibre to the premise".