KCOM announces plan to end telegraph pole row

Hundreds of telegraph poles have been installed across East Yorkshire, which has angered some residents

Telecoms firm KCOM has drawn up plans to share its infrastructure in a bid to stop more telegraph poles being installed across East Yorkshire.

A feasibility study has been sent to rival broadband company Connexin, in confidence, to ask for its views.

KCOM has previously been accused of not allowing its competitors to access its underground network.

Connexin said it would review the findings of the study.

MS3 Networks, another company operating in the area, added it supports the infrastructure sharing request.

Graham Stuart MP previously met residents opposed to broadband poles in Hedon

Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart previously said KCOM's competitors were being forced to put up telegraph poles to carry cables to homes.

Residents across East Yorkshire have expressed their anger at poles being installed in their neighbourhoods as a result.

According to KCOM, any broadband provider would be able to use the infrastructure sharing service in accordance with its regulatory duties.

It said it has not received any other requests for access to its passive infrastructure under the regulatory scheme, established by regulator Ofcom.

'Save stress and inconvenience'

A KCOM spokesperson said: "Since receiving Connexin's request for access to our passive infrastructure in January, our teams have worked flat out, from a standing start, to create a blueprint of systems and processes to handle and deliver requests for sharing KCOM's ducts and poles.

"[This will] potentially save local residents from the stress and inconvenience caused by the proliferation of new poles in streets across Hull and East Yorkshire."

"Today, we've passed that to Connexin, on a confidential basis, and asked for its views."

KCOM also said it hopes to start commercial negotiations in April, subject to Connexin's response.

In response, a Connexin spokesperson said: "After three years of pushing for a clear and open response on infrastructure sharing from KCOM, we have at last received the results of a feasibility study on the development of an approach to infrastructure sharing from KCOM this afternoon.

"We would like to thank all the local MPs, councillors and Ofcom, who have helped push for this process to get underway.

"Infrastructure sharing to limit unnecessary new telecoms infrastructure is also becoming a greater priority for the government, so we are pleased to see KCOM taking action at last. We will provide our response to this feasibility study once we have had a chance to review their findings."

MS3 Networks CEO, Guy Miller, said: "MS3 have also written to KCOM to support the infrastructure sharing request."