We didn’t anticipate BT’s response

In the light of recent comment about the Digital Region broadband project, I wanted to assert, once again, the importance of the project to the economic development of South Yorkshire. Given that Barnsley and many parts of South Yorkshire are less attractive to the telecoms market, we were always clear that Barnsley would get ‘next generation’ broadband network without Digital Region, but only after everyone else had theirs.

Digital Region is succeeding in bringing next generation broadband to South Yorkshire earlier than many other places and much earlier than would otherwise have been the case. What we did not anticipate was that BT would feel the need to compete so actively against this project.

But this competition must be fair. Digital Region has complained to the regulator Ofcom and to the Offices of the Telecoms Adjudicator about BT’s practices. As the erstwhile monopoly provider, BT has a special responsibility not to act anti-competitively.