Equality of access and local loop unbundling in the UK broadband telecommunications market

The relationship between an incumbent telecommunications operator and those companies that access its network is often fraught. This is particularly true in respect of local loop unbundling (LLU), a key product in the broadband telecommunications market. OFCOM, the UK’s telecommunications regulator, recently conducted a major review of the industry that resulted in a new approach to tackling this relationship. This paper focuses on this new approach, which combined a new regulatory concept – equality of access – with the establishment of a mini-regulator focusing on local loop unbundling processes, and goes on to assess the extent to which the relationship has been improved.