CityFibre slams Ofcom stance post-CAT order

Altnet CityFibre's response to Ofcom's stance following the Competition Appeals Tribunal's order to quash its Business Connectivity Market Review (BCMR) is unequivocal in its damnation.
 
Mark Collins, Director Strategy and Public Affairs at CityFibre, stated: "It is now imperative that Ofcom reconsiders and redefines its assessment of the market to reflect the accelerated rollout of full fibre demanded by theGovernment and being delivered by the likes of CityFibre.
 
"Ofcom needs to take to heart the strong criticisms made by the CAT.
 
"Although the quashing of the BCMR in its entirety by the CAT was welcome, Ofcom's response to it doubled down on its misguided approach to assessing the scope for competition while maintaining its flawed fixation with regulated dark fibre access.  
 
"Its pessimism about the prospects for real, infrastructure-based competition perversely restricts alternative providers' ability to compete."
 
Collins pledged to 'study the proposals carefully', and expressed regret over Ofcom's reluctance to undertake a 'fundamental and much needed rethink'. 
 
"As a company that is making substantial investments in the UK's full fibre infrastructure, what we value above all else is predictable and rational regulation, rather than a 'make do and mend' strategy that simply puts sticking plasters over past errors," added Collins. 
 
"In a rules-based system, the referee as well as the players must abide by the rules of the game."