Ofcom is proposing to regulate the wholesale fixed broadband market by geographical region , taking competition and commercial potential into account . The proposal comes as operators including TalkTalk and CityFibre start building networks to compete with Openreach . Ofcom supports deregulation where one or more alternatives to Openreach exist , while in other areas with commercial potential it will seek to promote further investment and new entrants . Virgin Media is also embarking on its own network expansion. Networks deemed non - competitive would be protected from high prices by the regulator . It plans to consult on the matter later in 2019 , with any resulting regulation coming into effect in the spring of 2021 at the earliest .
Ofcom is proposing to regulate the wholesale fixed broadband market by geographical region , taking competition and commercial potential into account . The proposal comes as operators including TalkTalk and CityFibre start building networks to compete with Openreach . Ofcom supports deregulation where one or more alternatives to Openreach exist , while in other areas with commercial potential it will seek to promote further investment and new entrants . Networks deemed non - competitive would be protected from high prices by the regulator . It plans to consult on the matter later in 2019 , with any resulting regulation coming into effect in the spring of 2021 at the earliest .