Vodafone is considering investing its own broadband network in the UK, reports The Telegraph. It is understood to have conducted tests in the town of King's Lynn in recent weeks to explore the possibility of laying its own fibre-optic cables into millions of homes and businesses using BT's telegraph poles and underground ducts.
Industry sources said the six-week trial has been done in secret because Vodafone is not fully committed to any investment and has serious doubts about the viability of building its own network in the UK. The results of the tests were delivered to a confidential industry working group, with sources indicating problems with costs, blocked ducts, and availability of maps for BT ducts.
Ofcom recently decided not to split up BT, preferring instead to press ahead with major reforms. These include encouraging rivals to build their own broadband lines on top of BT's network. To help them achieve this, Ofcom has proposed a digital mapping service and new rules on costs to make building their own infrastructure more commercially viable. Vodafone declined to comment on the report.
