Openreach CEO Joe Garner has denied accusations that the continued existence of broadband notspots in urban and rural areas is because of a lack of investment and says the UK’s fibre rollout has been “Europe-leading.”
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, Garner said the challenge was finding technical solutions to connect the ‘final five percent’ not covered by existing government broadband projects like Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), but that it was firmly committed to achieving total coverage.
“We can see ways of reaching the government target of 95 percent by the end of 2017,” Garner said. “The reality is the last one or two percent is really difficult. The last one percent doesn’t have access to electricity, running water and gas.”
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Garner rejected suggestions BT was simply unwilling to invest in areas not covered and maintained that an independent Openreach would not be able to do a better job.
BT’s rivals are calling for Openreach to be spun off entirely as part of the once-in-a-decade review of the UK communications market, the last of which actually resulted in the creation of Openreach as a separate unit within BT in 2005.
TalkTalk CEO Dido Harding has said an independent Openreach would be able to focus entirely on broadband and wouldn’t have to compete for investment with other BT departments like sport. However, Garner said the UK’s fibre rollout had benefited from BT’s research and development capabilities and the company’s willingness to make significant investments.
“The BT Group has made huge investments in fibre and at a time when not many customers were investing,” he continued. “I can tell you categorically, our priority is rolling out fibre. We’re working with local and central government and we’re well on our way to 95 percent coverage. We’re leading Europe on that position and frankly I don’t want anything to get in the way of that.”
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Sorry but they are just lying through their teeth, all the private houses around us have fibre broadband via openreach. Yet they blatantly refuse to install it into the business premises on the same estate. But happy to offer broadband leased lines. If that is not corrupt practice by BT/Openreach I don't know what is!
If lying was a criminal offence CEO Joe Garner would be serving time!
The area is also supposed to be one of the Super connected cities what a joke!