The new laws will help nine million people living in apartment buildings around the UK have faster broadband. To guarantee that new homes would be equipped with infrastructure enabling gigabit internet, ministers have amended the Building Regulations of 2010.
Gigabit Connectivity in the UK
Over 72 per cent of the UK now has access to gigabit broadband, and the new regulations will help prevent costly and disruptive installation work. The Telecommunication Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Act (TILPA), is now in force in England and Wales, making it simpler for internet providers to acquire access to install equipment in apartment buildings when a tenant requests a faster connection, says the UK government in its release.
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"Nothing should stop people from seizing the benefits of better broadband, whether it is an unresponsive landlord or a property developer's failure to act," said Julia Lopez, digital infrastructure minister.
"Thanks to our new laws, millions of renters will no longer be prevented from getting a broadband upgrade due to the silence of their landlord, and those moving into newly built homes can be confident they'll have access to the fastest speeds available from the day they move in," she added.
Consultation Statistics
According to data referenced in the Government's technical consultation, about 25,300 (12%) residents did not have access to a full fiber connection upon construction in a typical year. The revised regulations imply that when building new homes in England, developers will be legally required to future-proof homes during construction.
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Gigabit Ready Infrastructure
For developers, connection expenses will be capped at 2,000 pounds per home, and they will work together with network providers to connect to the gigabit network. In cases where a developer is unable to secure a gigabit connection within the cost cap, they must install the next fastest connection available.
If a gigabit-capable connection is unavailable within the cost cap, gigabit-ready infrastructure, such as ducts, chambers and termination points, still needs to be installed. These measures will ensure that homes are suitable for the digital age but may not be connected immediately.
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Updated Regulations
The updated regulations mean that more people moving into new homes will have a gigabit-capable broadband connection ready when construction is completed. In addition, another new law has made it easier to install faster internet connections in blocks of flats when landlords repeatedly ignore requests for access from broadband firms. Both of the new laws came into force on December 26 2022.
