Developers dictate your broadband deal

Millions of people moving into new builds are finding their broadband choices are limited

- Barry Collins

If you're moving into one of the 1.5 million new homes the government has pledged to build over the course of this parliament, you might think the last thing you need worry about is the broadband. Surely a new build will have full fibre running to it as a matter of course?

In the vast majority of cases, it will. However, you might have no choice over which broadband provider you're saddled with. Many property developers strike exclusive deals with ISPs that leave customers paying over the odds for a shoddy service, with no option to seek an alternate provider, and little hope of the situation improving.

What the regulations say

Developers of new build properties are obligated to provide high-speed broadband, following amendments made to the Building Regulations 2010 under the last government.

The revised regulations stipulate that people moving into new homes should have access to "gigabit-capable" broadband connections when construction is completed. That's subject to a £2,000 per home cost cap for developers. If it proves more expensive to connect homes, developers "must install the next fastest connection available".

In 98% of cases, according to 2024 figures from ThinkBroadband, that means new builds are connected to a full-fibre network. As the developer is building the roads to the property, it obviously makes sense to include the necessary underground ducting for fibre connections, meaning the freshly laid roads don't have to be dug up again when people move in.

What the regulations don't mandate, however, is choice. The property developer doesn't have to give Openreach or any other network provider a chance to tender. They can choose a single fibre provider - maybe one it even owns itself - and leave new homeowners with no option but to sign a deal with the developer's chosen provider.

Unwanted exclusive