The UK government has launched a consultation on how public funds could best be used to encourage the roll-out of 'full-fibre' networks. This follows its announcement in the autumn budget statement that fibre would be given more priority in any future public subsidies.
The 'call for evidence' started by the Minister of State for Digital and Culture looks at possible ways to stimulate fibre roll-out, such as providing vouchers for businesses to connect to fibre, aggregating public data and infrastructure to ease roll-out and subsidies for operators to deploy local loop fibre.
Ofcom is already working on some of these elements, such as improving access to BT's infrastructure, and vouchers and subsidies have been tried on a small scale in a number of cities. The government is now asking for input from operators, local authorities and other interest groups on their experience with such projects and their ideas for speeding up the fibre roll-out. Responses can be submitted until 31 January 2017.
