Ofcom to Unbundle British Telecom’s Fiber Network

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2010-The European Commission has approved U.K. regulator Ofcom’s proposals to require virtual unbundling of British Telecom’s fiber network. However, it requests that the full unbundling happen as soon as possible.

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2010-The European Commission has approved U.K. regulator Ofcom’s proposals to require virtual unbundling of British Telecom’s fiber network. However, it requests that the full unbundling happen as soon as possible.

Due to the case’s particular circumstances, the commission is accepting Ofcom’s request to require BT to provide access to its optical fiber infrastructure to others. By allowing other operators to access BT’s infrastructure, there will be more competitive broadband services available on fiber-based networks. The commission asks for the unbundling to happen as soon as it is feasible in order to make the transition to a more competitive fiber-based Internet market.