Ofcom calls for telecoms infrastructure rethink

Ofcom plans to begin a consultation process this autumn, to look at ways of developing the UK’s existing telecoms infrastructure in order to cope with increasing demand for high-bandwith services such as IPTV.

Popular video-sharing sites such as YouTube and the BBC’s recently released iPlayer, which allows users to download TV shows after they have been broadcast, are placing strain on the telecommunications infrastructure.

Following the launch of iPlayer, ISPs such as Tiscali have expressed concern about the level of demand such services place on its network. Tiscali feels that the additional bandwidth being generated by customers using the BBC iPlayer should be payed for by the BBC.

In response to such reports, Ofcom is keen that new ways of increasing capacity should be explored as a matter of priority.

Ofcom believes that utility companies could play a major role in helping with the problem, as they could offer their infrastructure as a way of laying out new fibre-optic cables.

Deploying fibre-optic cables along power lines would be cheaper that laying them underground, and is a method that has been used successfully in several countries, including France.

According to the Energy Networks Association, sections of the high voltage network are already laid with telecommunications cables, which are used by power companies. The association believes that there is spare capacity which could be rented out.

There is also the potential to lay fibre optic cables along overhead medium voltage lines.

Following the consultation period, Ofcom expects to release a statement in Spring next year, on how best to proceed with updating the telecoms infrastructure.