The poor service can leave customers waiting up to two hours to download an hour-long video, and have forced some businesses to close in the worst-affected parts of the country. The MPs have called for BT’s Openreach division, which owns and maintains the cables and has a monopoly over the network, to be sold off. However Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, has recommended the structure of Openreach is reformed rather than split off from its parent company. Under Ofcom's proposals, Openreach will be forced to make its infrastructure of ducts and poles available to rival companies from next week, and face tough new performance rules that take effect later this year. But the deal spares BT an immediate break-up of its monopoly over the UK's broadband infrastructure, instead accepting recommendations from BT that Openreach should have an independent board and control over its investment plans. Openreach will have a say over how it allocates its funding, however the size of its budget will still be set by BT. "We're pressing ahead with the biggest shake-up of telecoms in a decade," said Ofcom's chief executive, Sharon White, who has previously vowed to take a tough line on BT. "This will make sure the market is delivering the best possible services for people and businesses across the UK."
Regulator Ofcom's decision not to break up BT and OpenReach has infuriated millions of UK homeowners with no access to the minimum download speeds. Ofcom's chief executive, Sharon White, instead proposed that BT will be forced to make access to its ducts and poles available to its rivals "from next week", and will be subject to "tough new performance rules."