BT will open ducts to allow access to rivals

But telecoms giant claims this is not a response to Tory plans

The decision means BT's rivals will not have to dig up roads to lay their own cables

BT has said it will open up its cable ducts, allowing rivals to run their own high-speed broadband networks through the former incumbent’s infrastructure.

This will mean rivals will not have to dig up roads to lay their own cables, which will reduce the cost to them of providing broadband services to rival BT's services.

This follows increasing media and political pressure on BT, with the Court of Appeal just last week finding in favour of tax rates that see Vtesse and other ISPs taxed up to 20 times as much as BT owing to a particular accounting method.

There has also been intense criticism from the Conservatives over the government’s plans to divert much of the 50p phone levy to the rollout of broadband via BT.

More recently though there has been criticism from the Tories regarding BT’s closed ducts, and the party pledged last month that it would legislate to force BT to open them, which would stimulate market-led investment in broadband rollout.

BT denies that the decision to open its ducts is a response to the Conservative proposals.