{"id":37521,"date":"2024-03-15T00:01:47","date_gmt":"2024-03-15T00:01:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/?p=37521"},"modified":"2024-03-14T17:55:53","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T17:55:53","slug":"government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/03\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html","title":{"rendered":"Government Calls on UK Broadband Operators to Limit Poles"},"content":{"rendered":"

The UK Digital Infrastructure Minister, Julia Lopez, has published a new letter to “telecoms firms<\/em>” (Virgin Media<\/a>, Openreach<\/a> and KCOM<\/a> etc.) that calls for them to “limit installation of telegraph poles<\/em>” when deploying new fibre broadband networks because they risk upsetting communities by “inappropriately or unnecessarily throwing up new infrastructure<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

Network operators like poles because they’re quick and cost-effective to build, can be deployed in areas where there may be no space or access to safely put new underground cables, are less disruptive (avoiding the noise, access restrictions and damage to pavements of street works) and can be built under Permitted Development<\/strong> (PD) rights with only minimal prior notice.<\/p>\n

NOTE:<\/strong> We recommend reading the Revised Cabinet and Pole Siting Code of Practice Nov 2016<\/a>.<\/div>\n

Suffice to say that poles, which are already a common sight across much of the UK, form a key part of how network operators are choosing to deploy new full fibre (FTTP<\/a>) networks. The government, driven by its targets for expanding gigabit-capable broadband infrastructure, has also facilitated this by cutting red tape to help make such work as easy as possible.<\/p>\n

However, over the past couple of years’ we’ve reported on a notable rise in complaints about new poles, particularly from places like East Yorkshire and Greater Manchester. Such gripes typically highlight their negative visual appearance, as well as concerns about exposure to damage from major storms, the lack of effective prior consultation, the duplication of existing infrastructure or engineers that fail to follow safety rules while building etc.<\/p>\n

The key change today is that the government, which is perhaps being mindful of a looming General Election, has adopted a more proactive approach to localised concerns by writing a new letter that calls on telecoms companies to “curb<\/em>” the installation of new poles. In fact, we covered a lot of this yesterday in a much more extensive article (here<\/a>), which helps to give the wider context to today’s development (I don’t want to repeat all that).<\/p>\n

Digital Infrastructure Minister, Julia Lopez, said:<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Telegraph poles are a key piece of infrastructure bringing faster connectivity to communities and businesses across the country. Most telecoms companies are doing a fantastic job in delivering that connectivity with the support of those communities, by sharing existing infrastructure and taking into account surroundings when putting up new poles.<\/p>\n

But we know that there are some firms that are losing that vital community support by inappropriately or unnecessarily throwing up new infrastructure.<\/p>\n

I have today written to operators asking them to do whatever it takes to share existing infrastructure. We have already made a number of changes to the law to make it easier for them to do so \u2013 including allowing operators to fly lines from poles owned by other providers and sharing underground ducts. We reserve the right to take further action if things do not improve and will be discussing next steps with Ofcom<\/a>.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The full letter has been pasted at the bottom of this article and we’ve highlighted some of the key points below.<\/p>\n

Key Points of the Letter<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. The minister asks that companies do \u2018everything possible\u2019 to share existing telegraph poles before deciding to build new ones.<\/p>\n

2. The minister warns that any companies failing to comply with the regulations can lead Ofcom<\/a> to investigate and take enforcement action on the operator.<\/p>\n

3. The minister has advised new infrastructure should only be built above ground when sharing existing infrastructure or installing lines underground is not viable.<\/p>\n

4. The minister warns operators that new telegraph poles should only be installed after ensuring appropriate community engagement has taken place and that the siting of new infrastructure will not cause obstructions to traffic or unduly impact the visual amenity of the local area.<\/p>\n

5. The minister has requested the regulator to provide guidance to local planning authorities on how to raise complaints, as well as asking for Ofcom<\/a>\u2019s support in tackling the challenge.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

On point 1 and 3, most network operators would probably say they already do everything possible to share existing poles and ducts, since that’s a lot more cost-efficient than building new stuff. But local restrictions, as well as any limitations imposed by existing operators on such infrastructure, mean that it’s not always possible, and sometimes no alternatives exist.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, point 2 sounds strong, but doesn’t say anything new. Ofcom has yet to take any enforcement action related to poles or even investigate a specific complaint. This is in no small part because a lot of the complaints people have raised don’t strictly breach the existing guidelines, which are fairly flexible. But it will be interesting to see if the regulator now takes a more proactive interest.<\/p>\n

Point 4 is likely to be one of the most contentious, since at present network operators only need to give very minimal prior notice before a pole is deployed, such as by sticking a notice on a nearby street light (common) or sending out a mailshot ahead of time. In terms of “appropriate community engagement<\/em>“, the operators would no doubt say they already do this, although the existing code isn’t particularly strict and how you define whether a pole will “unduly impact the visual amenity of the local area<\/em>” can be quite a challenge – often coloured by personal perception (subjective).<\/p>\n

For example, some people might say that deploying poles in streets that haven’t had them before would “unduly impact the visual amenity of the local area<\/em>“, but often you might not be able to create an economically viable model for the area without them and that risks reversing efforts to tackle the digital divide. The ambiguity in this area quickly becomes tedious for everybody.<\/p>\n

Extract – Code of Practice and Protocols for New Poles<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Where new poles are to be installed the Code Operator should place a site notice (coinciding with notification to the relevant authorities) in as close proximity as possible to the proposed apparatus indicating to nearby residents the intention to install a pole, and the proposed location. The location of such notices should be discussed with the relevant authorities at the initial engagement meeting.<\/p>\n

If an appropriate place to site a notice is not available, another means of informing residents may be discussed and agreed upon. This could take the form of a temporary notice at the proposed site, placed on a post similar to those used by estate agents. Alternatively, another means of informing residents may be agreed upon such as a mailshot.<\/p>\n

Notices should state the name and contact details of the Code Operator. In National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural beauty, the Code Operator should discuss new pole locations with the relevant National Park Authority or AONB Partnership at an early stage to identify opportunities to minimise any adverse landscape impact.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Next, we come to point 5, where the government seems to be trying to help local authorities in understanding how to make related complaints to Ofcom and for the regulator to perhaps become a bit more proactive in investigating such concerns. But at the end of the day, this all seems to be mostly reiterating and underlining what the existing rules already say.<\/p>\n

ISPA<\/a> Chair, Steve Leighton, said:<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Upgrading the broadband network to full fibre gigabit broadband is a national priority, one that will deliver significant economic and social benefits across the UK.<\/p>\n

We understand the Minister’s concerns and wherever possible our members are using underground ducts or existing infrastructure to build their networks. However, this is not viable everywhere and that is why our members may need to use poles, in line with current planning rules which allow their use through permitted development.<\/p>\n

The sector will continue to engage proactively with government on this issue. Industry data shows that infrastructure sharing is widely used by a range of different providers, and the industry is exploring ways of unlocking further options. We must continue to ensure that we strike the right balance so that our members can build broadband networks that will enable and serve our society for decades to come.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

An Openreach<\/a> spokesperson said:<\/strong><\/p>\n

“We agree with the Minister about sharing access to ducts and poles. We do this already and, since 2011, more than 1.9 million of our poles and 260,000 kilometres of our underground duct have been used by other 169 builders to extend their own networks, connecting more than 700,000 customers. It’s been a great success for the industry and something we think should be replicated by other providers on comparable commercial terms.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The government’s letter also specifically touches on the issue of infrastructure sharing in the Hull area via KCOM<\/a>’s network, where they encourage the incumbent to play fair. But at present, network operators expecting the same level of access, flexibility and affordability as they get from Openreach<\/a> have run into problems with KCOM<\/a>\u2019s sadly confidential commercial terms, although some progress was made yesterday (here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Finally, the letter makes clear that the government intend to “revise<\/em>” the existing Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice<\/strong>, which will update the guidance – seemingly within the existing legislation – to “make sure that communities feel engaged in the deployment of new broadband infrastructure, whilst still allowing operators to continue deploying their networks<\/em>.” We expect more meetings and better notifications to be the result, which may add some extra costs and time to network builds.<\/p>\n

Copy of DSIT’s New Letter<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

To all fixed-line operators,<\/p>\n

Fixed-line broadband infrastructure sharing in England<\/p>\n

I am writing to you about the use of telegraph poles for fixed-line broadband deployment, which is generating public concern in some parts of the country.<\/p>\n

A number of MPs have brought to my attention the frustrations of communities they represent over the duplication of overhead fibre networks. They have advised that their constituents feel they have no control over how infrastructure is deployed in their local area, and this can negatively affect the overall perception of full fibre deployment.<\/p>\n

While these concerns are most prominent in a small number of areas in England, I have seen complaints from residents across the country.<\/p>\n

Incumbents with Significant Market Power<\/strong><\/p>\n

As you will no doubt be aware, Openreach and KCOM are two of the main telecommunications operators in England, and their position means that Ofcom previously found that Openreach and KCOM have significant market power (SMP) in their respective markets.<\/p>\n

Ofcom found that Openreach has significant market power in the passive infrastructure market. This led to the implementation of a Duct and Poles Access remedy, which requires Openreach to share its ducts and poles with any other operators, subject to a regulated fee structure.<\/p>\n

Government regards the introduction of a Duct and Poles Access remedy as a significant success. It has allowed for many new entrants to the telecoms market to start up and scale up, which has led to significant and growing levels of infrastructure competition, including in rural and remote areas of the UK. In turn, that competition has led to rapidly expanding coverage of gigabit-capable broadband in the UK, even as consumer prices have stayed relatively low.<\/p>\n

As you will know, the conditions are different in the Hull area, where Ofcom found that KCOM holds significant market power.<\/p>\n

The approach taken by Ofcom in the Hull area is to facilitate new entrants\u2019 use of KCOM\u2019s network by improving existing wholesale local access arrangements and by requiring KCOM to make reasonable physical adjustments to its network to facilitate access. It also continues to ensure that access is on fair and reasonable terms, including with regards to charges.<\/p>\n

Ofcom also recognises that other operators may seek space in KCOM\u2019s network of underground ducts and chambers to deploy a fixed access network in the Hull Area to compete with KCOM in the market. Similarly, other operators may request space on KCOM\u2019s telegraph poles. Ofcom states that it considers that such requests could be reasonable under the condition it is imposing. In such cases, KCOM would effectively be required to provide the relevant form of physical infrastructure access as soon as reasonably practicable and on fair and reasonable terms, conditions and charges for the deployment of fixed network technologies to fixed locations in the Hull area.<\/p>\n

Infrastructure sharing and maintaining broad support for the digital connectivity agenda<\/strong><\/p>\n

This Government is committed to ensuring there is a competitive broadband market so that everyone can receive the connectivity they need at an affordable price. We have also committed to delivering gigabit-capable connections to 85% of UK premises by 2025 with 99% of premises connected by 2030. The work operators across the UK undertake is crucial in achieving these ambitious goals.<\/p>\n

I also recognise the important part telegraph poles can play in delivering efficient and cost-effective coverage and connectivity to communities. They enable infrastructure deployment without costly and disruptive roadworks, or where existing infrastructure cannot be used, leading to greater choice for consumers.<\/p>\n

However, we want to make sure that while deployment happens efficiently, it also takes into account the impact these installations can have on communities and the environment. For this reason, the Government places great importance on the sharing of existing infrastructure.<\/p>\n

Indeed, the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003 place requirements on operators to share apparatus where practicable; and new measures introduced by the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 make it easier for operators to upgrade and share the use of existing underground ducts and telegraph poles.<\/p>\n

I am sure you will also be aware of the existence of the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice 2016, which provides guidance on ways operators can ensure that telegraph pole and cabinet installations are placed appropriately, and that local authorities and communities are engaged with regarding proposed installations.<\/p>\n

In addition to the measures set out above, the Communications (Access to Infrastructure) Regulations 2016 give you the right to access infrastructure operators\u2019 physical infrastructure, such as electricity poles, to deploy networks, subject to certain exemptions.<\/p>\n

All of the above measures have been put in place to allow fast and efficient network deployment, whilst minimising the impact on communities.<\/p>\n

In light of increasing public concern, it is more important than ever for you to ensure that you are doing everything possible to explore the possibility of sharing existing infrastructure and underground network deployment before making the decision to use telegraph poles. New telegraph poles should only be in cases where installing lines underground is not reasonably practicable, and only after ensuring that appropriate community engagement has taken place and that the siting of new infrastructure will not cause obstructions to traffic or unduly impact the visual amenity of the local area.<\/p>\n

I firmly believe that by sharing existing infrastructure where possible, through proactive local engagement and considerate placement of any necessary new installations, we can achieve Government\u2019s connectivity goals and bring people fast, reliable connectivity across the UK, whilst maintaining widespread public support.<\/p>\n

For this reason, I have asked my officials to consider what steps my Department can take to revise the existing Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice.<\/p>\n

The intention behind revising this Code of Practice is to develop a refreshed set of guidelines which makes sure that communities feel engaged in the deployment of new broadband infrastructure, whilst still allowing operators to continue deploying their networks, bringing faster connectivity and greater choice to consumers.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the intention is that the new guidelines, once published, will fall under the scope of regulation 17 of the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003. My officials will be in touch with you directly in due course regarding this work and I hope you will participate where possible.<\/p>\n

I wanted to express once again my gratitude for the work you are doing in helping deliver our connectivity ambitions. I believe that the sharing of existing physical infrastructure where possible will be key in ensuring that this work can progress at the necessary pace and with the strong backing of communities.<\/p>\n

Yours sincerely,<\/p>\n

Julia Lopez MP
\nMinister for Data and Digital Infrastructure<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The UK Digital Infrastructure Minister, Julia Lopez, has published a new letter to “telecoms firms” (Virgin Media, Openreach and KCOM etc.) that calls for them to “limit installation of telegraph poles” when deploying new fibre broadband networks because they risk upsetting communities by “inappropriately or unnecessarily throwing up new infrastructure.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,1645],"tags":[471,56,60,36,38,1997],"class_list":["post-37521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uk_isp_news","category-key_uk_isp_industry_developments","tag-bduk","tag-fttp","tag-mobile-broadband","tag-ofcom-regulation","tag-politics","tag-uk-gigabit-programme"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/mastodon.social\/@ispreview\/112096772764674094","error":""},"yoast_head":"\nGovernment Calls on UK Broadband Operators to Limit Poles - ISPreview UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The UK Digital Infrastructure Minister, Julia Lopez, has published a new letter to "telecoms firms" (Virgin Media, Openreach and KCOM etc.) that calls for\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/03\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Government Calls on UK Broadband Operators to Limit Poles - ISPreview UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The UK Digital Infrastructure Minister, Julia Lopez, has published a new letter to "telecoms firms" (Virgin Media, Openreach and KCOM etc.) that calls for\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/03\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ISPreview UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ispreview\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ispreview\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-03-15T00:01:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/nggallery_import\/telegraph_pole_engineer_ascent.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"882\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"841\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark Jackson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ispreview\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ispreview\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mark Jackson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Mark Jackson\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/de66a8b4e937c21c80e443d1bf9c35d5\"},\"headline\":\"Government Calls on UK Broadband Operators to Limit Poles\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-03-15T00:01:47+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html\"},\"wordCount\":2666,\"commentCount\":53,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/nggallery_import\\\/telegraph_pole_engineer_ascent.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Building Digital UK\",\"FTTP\",\"Mobile Broadband\",\"Ofcom Regulation\",\"Politics\",\"Project Gigabit\"],\"articleSection\":[\"ISP News\",\"Key Developments\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html\",\"name\":\"Government Calls on UK Broadband Operators to Limit Poles - ISPreview UK\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/nggallery_import\\\/telegraph_pole_engineer_ascent.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-03-15T00:01:47+00:00\",\"description\":\"The UK Digital Infrastructure Minister, Julia Lopez, has published a new letter to \\\"telecoms firms\\\" (Virgin Media, Openreach and KCOM etc.) that calls for\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/nggallery_import\\\/telegraph_pole_engineer_ascent.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/nggallery_import\\\/telegraph_pole_engineer_ascent.jpg\",\"width\":882,\"height\":841,\"caption\":\"telegraph pole engineer ascent\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Government Calls on UK Broadband Operators to Limit Poles\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/\",\"name\":\"ISPreview UK\",\"description\":\"Top Broadband ISP and Mobile Provider Information Site\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"ISPreview.co.uk\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/ispreview_uk_logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/ispreview_uk_logo.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000,\"caption\":\"ISPreview.co.uk\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/ispreview\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/ispreview\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/mjack\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/bsky.app\\\/profile\\\/ispreview.bsky.social\",\"https:\\\/\\\/mastodon.social\\\/@ispreview\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/de66a8b4e937c21c80e443d1bf9c35d5\",\"name\":\"Mark Jackson\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/nggallery_import\\\/Mark-Jackson-96x96.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/nggallery_import\\\/Mark-Jackson-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/nggallery_import\\\/Mark-Jackson-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Mark Jackson\"},\"description\":\"By Mark Jackson 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.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/ispreview\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/ispreview\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ispreview.co.uk\\\/index.php\\\/author\\\/markj\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Government Calls on UK Broadband Operators to Limit Poles - ISPreview UK","description":"The UK Digital Infrastructure Minister, Julia Lopez, has published a new letter to \"telecoms firms\" (Virgin Media, Openreach and KCOM etc.) that calls for","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/03\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Government Calls on UK Broadband Operators to Limit Poles - ISPreview UK","og_description":"The UK Digital Infrastructure Minister, Julia Lopez, has published a new letter to \"telecoms firms\" (Virgin Media, Openreach and KCOM etc.) that calls for","og_url":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/03\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html","og_site_name":"ISPreview UK","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ispreview","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ispreview","article_published_time":"2024-03-15T00:01:47+00:00","og_image":[{"width":882,"height":841,"url":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/nggallery_import\/telegraph_pole_engineer_ascent.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Mark Jackson","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ispreview","twitter_site":"@ispreview","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Mark Jackson","Estimated reading time":"13 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/03\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/03\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html"},"author":{"name":"Mark Jackson","@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/de66a8b4e937c21c80e443d1bf9c35d5"},"headline":"Government Calls on UK Broadband Operators to Limit Poles","datePublished":"2024-03-15T00:01:47+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/03\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html"},"wordCount":2666,"commentCount":53,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/03\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/nggallery_import\/telegraph_pole_engineer_ascent.jpg","keywords":["Building Digital UK","FTTP","Mobile Broadband","Ofcom Regulation","Politics","Project Gigabit"],"articleSection":["ISP News","Key Developments"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/03\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/03\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html","url":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/03\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html","name":"Government Calls on UK Broadband Operators to Limit Poles - ISPreview UK","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/03\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/03\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/nggallery_import\/telegraph_pole_engineer_ascent.jpg","datePublished":"2024-03-15T00:01:47+00:00","description":"The UK Digital Infrastructure Minister, Julia Lopez, has published a new letter to \"telecoms firms\" (Virgin Media, Openreach and KCOM etc.) that calls for","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/03\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/03\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/03\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/nggallery_import\/telegraph_pole_engineer_ascent.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/nggallery_import\/telegraph_pole_engineer_ascent.jpg","width":882,"height":841,"caption":"telegraph pole engineer ascent"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/03\/government-calls-on-uk-broadband-operators-to-limit-poles.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Government Calls on UK Broadband Operators to Limit Poles"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/","name":"ISPreview UK","description":"Top Broadband ISP and Mobile Provider Information Site","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/#organization","name":"ISPreview.co.uk","url":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ispreview_uk_logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ispreview_uk_logo.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"caption":"ISPreview.co.uk"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ispreview","https:\/\/x.com\/ispreview","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/mjack\/","https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/ispreview.bsky.social","https:\/\/mastodon.social\/@ispreview"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/de66a8b4e937c21c80e443d1bf9c35d5","name":"Mark Jackson","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/nggallery_import\/Mark-Jackson-96x96.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/nggallery_import\/Mark-Jackson-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/nggallery_import\/Mark-Jackson-96x96.jpg","caption":"Mark Jackson"},"description":"By Mark Jackson 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.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ispreview","https:\/\/x.com\/ispreview"],"url":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/author\/markj"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37521","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37521"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37521\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}