UK LLU breaks 7 million unbundled lines
Friday 10 September 2010 13:21:37 by John Hunt

The number of unbundled broadband connections in the UK has broken through the 7 million mark, making up around one third of all broadband connections according to data from the Office of the Telecommunications Adjudicator. The 7.03 million connections shows a massive surge since Ofcom overhauled the local loop unbundling (LLU) rules back in 2005 forcing BT to break off a new division called Openreach to manage the local telephone loop and provide equality of access between other companies and BT.

There are over 30 different companies providing unbundled services across the UK which has helped boost competition in the market. One clear example of the benefits of this is the changes in costs of broadband. At the end of 2005 a broadband service cost on around £23.50 a month (excluding VAT) but this has decreased to an average of £13.31 today.