Broadband access is increasingly important to UK consumers. Between 2009 and 2018, the proportion of UK households with fixed broadband increased from 65% to 80%. In 2019, almost nine in ten (87%) UK households had internet access, with 82% of people using home broadband.
Many broadband and landline providers use Openreach’s network to deliver their services to customers. Openreach is responsible for maintaining and investing in its network, to ensure customers experience a reliable service. The quality of the services provided by Openreach to telecoms providers is therefore vital to consumers’ broadband and landline experience.
Between 2009 and 2012, the quality of service provided by Openreach decreased steadily for the time taken to carry out installations of new services, and repairs. So, in 2014 we put in place minimum quality of service standards on Openreach. These, along with other policies, were aimed at making sure Openreach improved its service level performance.
We have looked at the difference these standards have made – looking at whether they have led to an improvement in Openreach’s performance. This also allows us to uncover any lessons learned, which could help inform future decisions and ensure our policies are as effective as possible. Evaluations also help make us accountable for the regulatory decisions we make.