Broadband infrastructure sharing live in Hull

All communications providers (CPs) in the Hull area are now able to apply to access KCOM’s passive infrastructure to support the roll-out of new full fibre networks.

KCOM completed delivery of its high-quality Fibre To The Premises (FTTP) network in the Hull area in 2019, the first city in the UK to reach that milestone. The launch of KCOM’s Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) Reference Offer Product will enable other providers to use KCOM’s passive infrastructure to roll out their own fibre networks.

Over the past year, KCOM has collaborated with communication providers in the area in a trial to develop a practical and effective way to share KCOM’s infrastructure on fair and reasonable terms. A long term solution has now been reached, based on the evidence, learnings and experience taken from the trial. All parties have worked well together to find a solution that works for customers, residents and communications providers in a sustainable competitive market.

Jan Collins, Managing Director, KCOM Enterprise, said: “We’re committed to working collaboratively with all parties who have an interest in accessing KCOM’s infrastructure, and we’ve been grateful for the support and encouragement of our local MPs during the past year. It’s evident that Hull now has a thriving broadband sector. That is ultimately good news for residents and businesses who more than ever need fast, reliable and good value connectivity. Infrastructure sharing is an important part of delivering that across the city efficiently and without undue disruption to residents.”

KCOM's PIA product will largely mirror the Openreach PIA offering and pricing, with any differences reflecting variances in KCOM's network design and build. The PIA product provides for any potential modifications that may need to be made to KCOM’s existing infrastructure to accommodate the deployment of new fibre networks. All pricing, principles and processes that apply to the PIA product have been defined and informed by the trial phase.

Guy Miller, Chief Executive of MS3 Networks, said: “MS3 Networks acknowledges KCOM's decision to launch its infrastructure sharing product, a long-overdue development. MS3 is reviewing whether the commercial variations to the national PIA product provided by Openreach are too significant to overcome or whether this product will be sufficient to avoid future infrastructure overbuild, something we all hope is the case. We remain committed to our ongoing trial, which is poised to bring network choice to an additional 3,000 homes and appreciate the continued support of local MPs for this vital community project.”

Sir David Davis, MP for Goole and Pocklington, said: “The launch of KCOM’s infrastructure sharing is a much welcome development, marking a positive and long-awaited step forward for broadband competition in our area. For too long, residents have raised concerns about duplicate poles, unnecessary street works, and the visual impact on our neighbourhoods.

“The meeting I organised in January 2024, with MPs, KCOM, MS3, and Connexin, brought a real focus to the issue. All MPs across the area have worked together to apply pressure, resulting in today's announcement of a collaborative, sensible approach to infrastructure sharing. I am grateful to KCOM for implementing these arrangements and hope to see other providers, such as MS3 and CityFibre, utilise the existing infrastructure, as they have long requested. This is about getting the balance right between progress and preserving the places we call home.”

Emma Hardy, MP for Hull West and Haltemprice, said: “I’ve supported residents’ calls for broadband infrastructure sharing for a long time, so I’m really pleased to see KCOM’s PIA is now up and running. This is a positive step forward for our city, as this could help to reduce the need for duplicate poles and street disruption while opening the door to greater competition and choice for consumers. I hope that all broadband providers currently operating in Hull, or looking at entering the market, consider making use of this shared infrastructure to help deliver better, fairer broadband for everyone in our community."

Dame Diana Johnson, MP for Hull North and Cottingham, said: “This is good news. In recent years, the need to roll-out high-speed broadband combined with the removal in 2013 of any legal requirement to consult about the placement of telecoms equipment resulted in many more additional telegraph poles being located in local communities. Local MPs were inundated with complaints about pavement clutter, obstructed driveways and inconvenience. That’s why I welcome the work to put in place more common-sense arrangements for sharing KCOM’s infrastructure.”

Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness, said: “All people in and around Beverley and Hedon have wanted is for KCOM to work with other internet providers to stop the erection of ugly and unnecessary poles and help bring prices down for all of us. So I was delighted when KCOM announced that they would start a pole sharing trial and it's great for everyone in our area that we now have a competitive market in broadband, just like everyone else in the country. I'm grateful to everyone at KCOM who have made this happen and now the ball is in other telecoms companies' court. I'll be watching with great interest to see whether the likes of MS3 and CityFibre take KCOM up on this offer, having asked for it for so long!”