KCOM continues to engage on infrastructure sharing in Hull and East Riding

KCOM has today delivered a plan that could enable other broadband providers to share its passive infrastructure without the need for more telegraph poles.

The East Yorkshire-based broadband provider has today produced the results of a feasibility study, describing how other broadband providers could deliver their services using KCOM’s infrastructure, without the need to install their own network of telegraph poles.

A KCOM spokesperson said: “Since receiving Connexin’s request for access to our passive infrastructure in January,  our teams have worked flat out, from a standing start, to create a blueprint of systems and processes to handle and deliver requests for sharing KCOM’s ducts and poles,  potentially saving local residents from the stress and  inconvenience caused by the proliferation of new poles in streets across Hull and East Yorkshire.

“Today, we’ve passed that to Connexin, on a confidential basis, and asked for its views. We want to know if it would meet Connexin’s requirements. Subject to its comments, we hope to start commercial negotiations in April.”

KCOM has repeatedly stated that it is willing to work with other providers to provide fair and reasonable access to its passive infrastructure and today marks an important step in fulfilling that commitment.

Any broadband provider would be able to use the infrastructure sharing service that KCOM has developed, in accordance with KCOM’s regulatory duties. However, it should be noted that, apart from Connexin,  KCOM has not received any other requests for access to its passive infrastructure under the regulatory scheme established by Ofcom.