The UK has a highly competitive broadband market. Superfast broadband is currently available to 78% of UK premises, up from 45% in 2010. In addition to BT, KCom and Virgin Media, a growing number of both fixed and wireless providers are making infrastructure investments. In September 2012 the Government announced a package of measures to reduce the barriers to deployment of superfast broadband, reducing red tape and bureaucracy to enable communications providers to deploy competing networks. The Digital Communications Infrastructure Strategy consultation invited industry to submit views on what more the Government might do to support infrastructure deployment. That consultation closed on 1 October and the Government is currently considering the responses received.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1580", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wantage"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Edward Vaizey"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-10-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-10-30T11:22:39.6784224Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Broadband"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to encourage infrastructure-based competition across the market for high-speed broadband connections; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4122", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Cunningham"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockton North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Cunningham"} ], "uin" : "211867"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100862", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Culture Media and Sport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100862/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
DCMS worked closely with Communities and Local Government, industry and other interested parties to design and implement in 2013 a significant and substantial package of planning relaxations in England. The changes support the roll out of fixed line high-speed broadband in protected areas*, and high-speed mobile broadband (4G) in protected and unprotected areas by removing the need to seek planning permission for specified developments. This year, joint working with Communities and Local Government has continued, together with house builders and communications providers, to develop an action plan to ensure that new developments have access to superfast broadband.<\/p>
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*(National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, World Heritage Site, Norfolk and Suffolk Broads and Conservation Areas but not Sites of Special Scientific Interest)<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1580", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wantage"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Edward Vaizey"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-10-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-10-30T11:24:19.2333313Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Broadband"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if his Department will co-operate with the Department for Communities and Local Government over potential actions to reduce the costs associated with planning regulations and other barriers in relation to the rollout of high-speed broadband.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4122", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Cunningham"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockton North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Cunningham"} ], "uin" : "211848"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100863", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Culture Media and Sport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100863/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We encourage and support a range of innovative approaches in street works, particularly where these can lower the cost and speed up deployment of superfast broadband. The standards that street works reinstatements must meet are set out in the statutory code, the Specification of the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways (SROH). SROH sets out a range of deployment methods and approved materials that undertakers can use when carrying out street works, including narrow trenching and the use of foamed concrete as a reinstatement material.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1580", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wantage"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Edward Vaizey"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-10-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-10-30T11:25:18.7706606Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Broadband"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if his Department will hold discussions with local authorities to encourage uptake of narrow trenching techniques in order to lower deployment costs for high-speed broadband connections and expedite its rollout to more homes and businesses.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4122", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Cunningham"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockton North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Cunningham"} ], "uin" : "211849"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100124", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Culture Media and Sport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100124/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The information requested is not readily available. With the exception of the Hull area, where KCom is the only significant provider, the broadband market is defined according to the level of competition across the UK as whole. Ofcom carries out a rolling programme of market reviews of competition in communications markets to ensure that regulation remains appropriate and proportionate in the light of changing market conditions. The market definition and market analysis procedure that Ofcom is required to follow is set out in the EU regulatory framework for communications.<\/p>
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In June of this year, on completion of its latest Wholesale Broadband Access (WBA) market review, Ofcom reduced the number of market areas from 4 to 3 to better reflect developments in the market since the last review was undertaken in 2010. Details of the market areas, the number of exchanges in each area and the percentage of premises served are:<\/p>
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