BT facing monopoly probe over fibre broadband
TalkTalk claims foul play over next gen broadband pricing.


Ofcom will investigate BT over its dominance in the broadband market following complaints by rival TalkTalk.
The complaint, alleges that BT has squeezed margins between its upstream costs and downstream prices. TalkTalk has complained that the telco is charging ISPs too much for access to its fibre network.
Investigations are in an early stage according to the regulator. Ofcom said that claims will be looked into before deciding if BT has a case to answer for.
"In the initial phase of the investigation in Spring/Summer 2013, we expect to gather further information using our powers under the Competition Act 1998, and to analyse this information," said the regulator in a statement.
"We expect this initial analysis to inform consideration of whether and how to proceed further with the investigation, during Autumn/Winter 2013."
BT said that it was disappointed that Ofcom has opened the case and claims there is no evidence.
"It would be better if the industry's and Ofcom's focus was on investing in the future of the country rather than on spurious actions designed to hold up fibre in the UK," BT said in a statement.
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
However, TalkTalk welcomesd the news to investigate BT and said that it has "long maintained that there needs to be tighter regulation in superfast broadband to ensure a level playing field and therefore deliver real benefits for consumers and businesses."
"We are pleased that Ofcom is taking this matter seriously and have decided there is reasonable suspicion to investigate BT's fibre pricing," a TalkTalk spokesman said.
BT is currently spending 2.5 billion of its own money to connect around two-thirds of the UK to its fibre network by 2014.
Rene Millman is a freelance writer and broadcaster who covers cybersecurity, AI, IoT, and the cloud. He also works as a contributing analyst at GigaOm and has previously worked as an analyst for Gartner covering the infrastructure market. He has made numerous television appearances to give his views and expertise on technology trends and companies that affect and shape our lives. You can follow Rene Millman on Twitter.
-
Asus ZenScreen Fold OLED MQ17QH review
Reviews A stunning foldable 17.3in OLED display – but it's too expensive to be anything more than a thrilling tech demo
By Sasha Muller
-
How the UK MoJ achieved secure networks for prisons and offices with Palo Alto Networks
Case study Adopting zero trust is a necessity when your own users are trying to launch cyber attacks
By Rory Bathgate
-
Equinix acquires BT's Irish data centers in €59 million deal
News As BT moves to an asset-light business model, Equinix looks to expand
By Emma Woollacott
-
BT just extended the PSTN switch-off deadline — here’s what you need to know
News BT described the move as a “revision”, citing a series of improvements to the wider PSTN switch-off programme
By George Fitzmaurice
-
BT misses key Huawei kit removal deadline, but the telco is “almost over the line”
News BT is still reliant on non-compliant Huawei equipment for 2G and 3G services
By Ross Kelly
-
BT partners with HPE to deliver new global managed LAN service
News The latest collaboration combines BT’s connectivity expertise with HPE Aruba Networking’s latest LAN solutions
By Daniel Todd
-
Making the switch
Whitepaper Realise the benefits of IP technology ahead of the digital ‘switch-on’
By ITPro
-
BT and OneWeb succeed in "game changer" satellite connection trial
News Smaller businesses in rural areas could benefit from improvements to backhaul services using satellites, with speeds increasing by an order of magnitude
By Rory Bathgate
-
BT, Nokia crack four carrier aggregation on a 5G network in first for Europe
News The breakthrough marks the first successful use of such technology on a live network, and could lead to dramatic network improvements
By Rory Bathgate
-
BT Mini Whole Home Wi-Fi review: Value-conscious range extension
Reviews You shouldn’t expect top performance, but this dinky mesh system eradicates notspots for a great price
By Darien Graham-Smith