Statement: Upgrading broadband customers to superfast products

Statement published 29 January 2020

This statement sets out technical changes to certain regulations that require Openreach to install new broadband connections within a set period of time. These changes will enable broadband companies to upgrade their customers to faster broadband products more efficiently.

Openreach has told us its wholesale customers want a more efficient and cost-effective way to upgrade existing retail customers to higher-speed products. So, Openreach has developed a new installation process that will allow providers to upgrade their standard broadband customers to superfast broadband products in batches, reducing the cost per customer.

Under this process, Openreach would wait for a sufficient volume of upgrades from a provider at a given cabinet before making those upgrades.

Given the potential benefits to broadband customers of using this new bulk upgrade process, we consulted on our proposals to agree to Openreach’s request in November 2019. The proposals confirmed the support of the industry for the change and we are, accordingly, modifying the Quality of Service direction.