Openreach says law change could unlock upgrades for tenants

Openreach has called for easier broadband upgrades to give tenants in flats and apartments the legal right to request better internet access in the same way they can request pets, to prevent a new digital divide.

The request comes as homes and businesses across Leeds and Bradford risk missing out on reliable broadband technology due to red tape, which is blocking upgrades to apartment buildings and flats.

Across both areas, there are around 623,000 homes and businesses on the Openreach network, of which more than 431,000 have already been upgraded to ultrafast full fibre broadband as part of the company’s investment.

However, more than 46,000 flats and apartments across the region have not been upgraded because of red tape preventing access to wayleave agreements to be signed by landlords and property owners, meaning these buildings are now in danger of being left behind.

Currently Openreach can use its existing wayleave agreements to enter communal areas in flats and repair its older copper network, but can’t use the same rights to install the latest technology.

A simple change to the Renters' Rights Bill – which has already been proposed and is being debated in parliament – would give tenants the right to request full fibre broadband from any provider, in a similar way to that being proposed to enable tenants to have a pet.

Clive Selley, Openreach CEO, warned: “While the majority of Yorkshire’s homes and businesses are going to benefit from our investment in broadband technology, tens of thousands of flats are at risk of missing out, risking being stuck with slower connections for years.

“There’s also a real risk of harming the UK’s growth potential, which is why we think the government needs to act.”

Whilst Openreach can use existing permissions to maintain older connections to homes and businesses in so called ‘Multi Dwelling Units’, it can’t use them to install the latest technology. The process is also complicated frequently by challenges in contacting landlords.

Openreach estimates the law change could unlock many of the estimated one million premises in UK flats or sub-divided houses where it has built full fibre to the door but hasn’t been able to gain access.