A recent survey from bOnline has shown that many SMEs are unsure about the availability of altnet in their area, with confusion over the UK’s broadband roll-out strategy.
Fri, 23/02/2024 - 12:18
Evolve Business Group has praised Virgin Media O2’s recent decision to establish a wholesale arm, citing further competition as a win for UK businesses.
It said: “As a new nationwide provider, it will challenge the dominance of BT-owned Openreach, which currently connects 99% of all homes and businesses across the country.
“Currently, all broadband providers rely on the Openreach network to connect customers. As such, these suppliers are limited to the top speeds provided by Openreach cables in that area.”
Last week, Virgin Media O2 unveiled plans for a wholesale entity (NetCo) which will be a fully consolidated subsidiary of VMO2, comprising the operator’s cable and fibre network assets covering 16.2m premises across the UK.
It will underpin VMO2’s continued upgrade programme which sees its existing cable network overlayed with full fibre.
Evolve’s statement continues: “By opening its network to other brands for the first time, Virgin Media is paving the way for more true alternatives for broadband providers who want to unlock faster speeds in parts of the UK that have yet to be upgraded by Openreach.”
