Broadband competition reaches new milestone  

Competition in the UK’s broadband market has reached another significant milestone. Competition in the UK’s broadband market has reached another significant milestone. The number of unbundled lines – where communications providers such as Sky or TalkTalk offer services over BT’s copper telephone network – has passed the 8 million mark. At one time most people could only get their broadband and landline telephone service from one provider – BT. But a process known as Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) changed that. Unbundled lines It allowed phone companies other than BT to install telecoms equipment into the local BT telephone exchanges. Since 2005, the number of unbundled lines has increased from 123,000 to hit 8.02 million in January 2012. The spur for the surge in unbundled lines was a set of legally-binding Undertakings that Ofcom agreed with BT Group. Firms other than BT were...