MP tells broadband companies they must share infrastructure

Telecoms minister Chris Bryant has urged broadband operators to share infrastructure amid public concern over the number of telegraph poles which are being erected.

Bryant met with 15 operators on Thursday and voiced concerns of residents who “have telegraph poles lodged outside their home, often without being told beforehand”.

The minister said many poles were installed in a way that is “not considerate to anyone’s way of life”.

In Hull and East Yorkshire, several communities have had long-running campaigns to stop new poles being installed near their homes.

In March, Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart said people were “fed up with the poles nightmare” after protests in his constituency, including Hedon.

He also called for a “code of conduct” to prevent poles being erected “in egregious places” such as “in front of peoples’ front rooms”.

In November 2023, poles put up by telecoms company MS3 Networks in the Longhill area were felled, as part of ongoing protests against the poles in Hull.

Elsewhere, residents in Hessle have been in a long-running battle with MS3 Networks over placing new poles in the town.

Local operators KCOM and MS3 Networks attended the meeting at Westminster, alongside providers including Openreach and Virgin Media O2.

At the meeting, Bryant said poles were often placed very close together and carried remarkably similar equipment and companies could share if they worked better together.

Ofcom raised concerns too many residents were surprised to see poles installed outside their homes, with many not being informed beforehand.

Bryant called for “urgency” in delivering on these issues.

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology said operators committed to finding ways to collaborate and share infrastructure including poles more effectively, as well as looking at ways to consult residents more consistently and effectively.

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