Ofcom UK Expected to Fine IX Wireless Over Visual Impact of 15m High Broadband Pole
The UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today provisionally found “reasonable grounds for believing” that wireless broadband operator IX Wireless (supported by UK ISP 6Gi / Opus Broadband) broke its rules by failing in its duty to minimise the visual impact of a 15-metre metal mast / pole when it was installed in Rochdale during 2023.
Just to recap. IX Wireless originally held an aspiration to cover 250,000 UK premises with their new network (here), which involves deploying a hybrid fibre and wireless broadband network across several towns in the North West of England, such as Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Nelson, Accrington, Thornton-Cleveleys, Fleetwood, Blackpool, Tameside and Oldham etc.
However, the “up to” 15-metre-high metal poles that they build haven’t always gone down particularly well with residents in some of the areas where they build (people often highlight their negative visual appearance), although in being a wireless service they only need to deploy a smaller number in order to cover a wide area.
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As a result, the network operator has sometimes attracted complaints, which in May 2025 resulted in Ofcom launching an investigation (here) into a single pole deployment in Rochdale (originally installed during 2023). The probe examined whether or not the operator correctly considered the need to “minimise the impact on the visual amenity” of nearby properties during their installation.
The regulator’s powers in this area remain quite limited (here), but in somewhat of a test case Ofcom has today issued a provisional enforcement notification against IX Wireless over the deployment. But it’s worth noting that IXW’s large metal poles are visually quite different, as well as being much larger, than your typical c.9 metre high wooden telegraph / telecoms poles (i.e. any ruling may not be directly translatable to the latter).
Ofcom Statement
Ofcom considers that there are reasonable grounds for believing that IXW has contravened Regulation 3(3)(a), under which it must ensure that when installing electronic communications apparatus it minimises, so far as reasonably practicable, the impact on the visual amenity of properties.
The notification sets out Ofcom’s provisional reasoning and explains the financial penalty we are minded to impose if the above breach is confirmed. IXW will now have a period of 20 working days to make representations to Ofcom, which will be carefully considered before we reach a final decision.
The final conclusion to all this thus seems set to follow in the very near future and the regulator rarely changes its mind once it’s found “reasonable grounds” for believing that the rules have been broken. But as this is uncharted territory, we don’t yet know how harsh the regulator will be or not with its penalty.
In addition, Ofcom is still running a second investigation into the same network operator, albeit for a different reason. The second probe is examining whether IXW complied with requirements to ensure that lines installed over the carriageway of a maintainable highway are placed at least 5.5 metres above the surface of the road (here).
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Finally, it’s worth noting that the ISPA and INCA last year published new ‘Best Practice Guidance’ for gigabit broadband operators that are building new poles as part of their UK network expansions. The guidance aims to support the Government’s goal of “ending the deployment of unnecessary telegraph poles” (here), not least by requiring providers to engage more closely with communities before they build (details here).
The impact of the new guidance is, however, somewhat tricky to assess since most alternative networks have already stopped or significantly slowed deployments of new fibre optic broadband infrastructure as a result of wider market strains (i.e. rising build costs, competition and high interest rates).
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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It appears to be a mast rather than a pole but without splitting hairs it’s damned ugly. As to the other issue it is surely easy to determine the height of a wire above ground level. I don’t understand how this company can make money, Do people actually sign up?
I wonder who is going to pay for the removal of these blasted things when the outfit inevitably goes bust. I’m sure it won’t be the owner, who will walk away and leave local council tax payers with the bill to clear the highways of their junk.
To MissTuned’s query, anyone with Code powers is required to hold an insurance bond (and show it to Ofcom every year) that covers the cost of making right any works on public land/highway should they go bankrupt. That doesn’t cover private land though…that would be a civil matter to be taken up with the Administrators in case of bankruptcy.
These are horrible things, I saw one in the Burnley area last week. It’s way out of proportion compared to telegraph poles, the metal appearance makes it stand out, and the forest of dishes/antennas is ugly.
If it was providing a superior service, it might be forgiven, but 6G/IX/Opus/whatever it’s called this week is providing slower speeds and seems pointless. As far as I could see in the area I was visiting, some houses had Openreach and some had BRSK FTTP, so this system is redundant in an area with two existing FTTP networks.
Would it be better if this was painted brown and had a plastic shroud at the top to hide the diverse aerials? It would be interesting to see this in streetview to see what it looks like in context (ie is this just nimbyism)
I have looked deeper into this and note the same company has installed some decidedly “chonkier” poles elsewhere which do feel more oppressive in residential areas (would be fine in an industrial location but geography down’t always allow that choice at the same time as minimising masts and costs)
On the point of cost of eventual removal potentially falling to local council; while it would be tempting to require such providers to post a removal bond (covering X years) with the council on installation, that would slow down innovation and pace of change which wouldn’t be the right outcome in all cases.
What innovation? It’s providing a slower wireless service (up to 300Mbps) in areas which mostly have full FTTP available, often from more than one network. It seems entirely unnecessary.
Incidentally, the 6G website redirects to the Opus website which 404s, so there’s no way to order anything from them in any case. It all feels dodgy, especially the constant name changes.
@MilesT We can provide fast wired links to every home, underground. We dont need tall useless poles/masts everywhere for home internet connections, that’s going backwards.
Poles exist for cheap deployment, not good deployment. Anyone has the right to complain about them being erected.
“…most alternative networks have already stopped or significantly slowed deployments of new fibre optic broadband infrastructure…”
Can we have an article on this please Mark. Who is still actually building (OR, VM/NF and NO at least) and who has moved to “commercialisation” (everyone else?)
Oh I remember, the “6G” boardband!
They have horrible massive poles all over Darwen and keep ramming leaflets through everyone’s doors but I’m yet to see a single customer connect to them.