Entitled to 10.
Your right to good
broadband under the
Universal Service
Obligation

Did you know that every home and business within the UK has the legal right to request access to a decent broadband service ...running at a minimum of 10Mbps?

Probably not. And that's why we're raising awareness of the Universal Service Obligation for broadband.

Because you're entitled to 10.

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Entitledto10

Under an existing Government policy called the Universal Service Obligation for Broadband (or USO for short) you already have the legal right to request access to a broadband service running at a minimum of 10Mbps - but the majority of people know nothing about this.

That's why we've launched our 'Entitledto 10' campaign, where we'll be shouting from the rooftops about the USO and explaining how it works. We'll also detail the problems with the scheme and what else you can do if you find you're going to face unaffordably large costs.

The first thing to do is test the speed of your current broadband connection

We know there are many of you out there struggling with slow broadband, so we've provided an easy to use broadband speed test, letting you find out if your is connection is running below 10Mbps.

What you should do next if your broadband speeds are below 10Mbps

1

Request access to decent broadband under the USO from either BT or KCOM and get a quotation detailing whether this will cost more than the maximum available funding of £3,400 per property. Ofcom has a helpful webpage telling you how to go about this.

2

If there are additional costs involved in getting you fibre, try teaming up with neighbours to see if any excess amount can be covered by two or more properties banding together.

3

If you're still facing a hefty bill, just contact us. Our reliable 4G broadband provides average speeds of 25Mbps at a fraction of the cost and can transform your online experience within days. Remember - fibre is not the only game in town.

Fast 4G Broadband

More on the Universal Service Obligation for Broadband

Not heard of the USO? You're not alone. According to our survey of UK residents, over two thirds of you are unaware of the USO and your legal right to demand access to decent broadband, which means a service that consistently delivers download speeds of at least 10Mbps.

As 9 in 10 people in the UK consider their broadband as important as their other utilities, we think that far more people need to be aware of their rights when it comes to having a good internet connection.

The USO is a policy was put in place by the UK government a little over two years ago. In its wisdom, it decided that there would be only two suppliers for broadband services delivered under the USO, namely BT on a full nationwide basis and KCOM in the Hull area.

The USO states that, if you can't access a broadband service running at a minimum of 10Mbps and there are no plans in place to upgrade the broadband in your area within the next 12 months, you can contact one of those two suppliers and they are then legally obliged to make one available to you.

This sounds too good to be true
What's the catch?

Unfortunately there are two major problems with the USO - cost and timescale.

Although giving UK homes and businesses the right to request access to decent broadband, the USO frequently fails to help those in rural areas who are most in need of better broadband. Here's why.

The current scheme only provides maximum funding per property of £3,400 towards the cost of building or upgrading any necessary network infrastructure. Sadly, getting fibre broadband to many rural properties is far more costly than that, so people are then expected to fork out their own money to cover any expense over that level. These additional costs regularly run into the tens of thousands of pounds, making better broadband via the USO completely unaffordable for all too many people.

Here's just one typical example. Read about a Derbyshire case study where we helped out one grateful resident who had been quoted a jaw-dropping £40,000 for better broadband under the USO.

We think that's completely unfair - and it's not just us that think this way. 60% of UK residents said they don't believe that the public should have to pay anything at all towards the costs of broadband infrastructure installation.

And even if your property is fortunate enough to be in a location where that maximum £3,400 of funding would cover all infrastructure costs, getting you an improved broadband connection could take up to 24 months. That's just far too long to wait for something you could have right now.

What should the Government be doing?

The Government certainly talks a good game when it comes to improving broadband for everyone across the UK and this forms a key part of its 'Levelling Up' agenda. However its actions just aren't matching up with its words and as a consequence, it is failing to adequately address the issue of the 'Digital Divide'.

With over 600,000 UK properties still unable to access landline broadband speeds of 10Mbps or more, we're calling on the Government to increase its support for alternative broadband delivery technologies. Solutions such as 4G-based broadband can immediately provide life-changingly improved connectivity to the most digitally deprived properties in the UK - and at a fraction of the cost of fibre.

Reducing digital inequality is now more important than ever, With over half of UK residents stating that their reliance on broadband has substantially increased since the pandemic, the Government must go further in its efforts to push for full digital inclusivity and provide access to decent broadband for all.

And that's not just our very firm opinion - a very sizeable majority of UK homes and businesses agree that those in Westminster need to significantly up their game.

Everyone deserves decent broadband

All too frequently we encounter people endlessly waiting on the promise of fibre. They're at their wit's end and have no clue how to improve their broadband experience. They're unaware both of their legal rights and the alternative and immediately available broadband options which could benefit them.

That's why we're passionate about delivering the best broadband service possible to our customers as every day we get to see the transformative impact this can have on people's day to day lives.

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