Obtaining code powers to carry out street works is an important step for any telecommunications roll-out, no matter whether using copper, coax or fibre. Fibrewave is now in a consultation period with Ofcom over the granting of code powers.
The consultation period run by Ofcom (running until 10th September 2012) allows for parties that have objections time to raise their concerns. Generally the powers are granted, and in the case of Fibrewave it appears they intend to use them to install mixtures of microwave links, cabinets and fibre, and this is to support a Fibre to the Home (FTTH) product in East Anglia and the East Midlands. Interestingly PIA (Physical infrastructure Access) is also mentioned, we would hazard a guess that this may be because installing your own ducting crossing roads can be expensive, and Fibrewave may plan to chop and change between PIA and its own ducting based on what is most cost efficient in a location.
Hopefully as the products get newer to going live more information will on the Fibrewave website, the pricing that is present on the site from March 2012, apparently refers to an existing FTTC service.
News of more fibre developers will be welcome to those who live in the rural areas, and the politicians as it is yet more evidence of the dynamic UK broadband market. Looking at it another way, if the UK is spawning so many regional full fibre developers, why is there a need for the BDUK projects?
Great news this is what we want more competition, hopefully if it works out they'll expand elsewhere