Openreach chief issues community fibre broadband warning

BT Openreach chief executive Liv Garfield has argued against community fibre optic broadband projects being awarded public money.

Some critics have argued community schemes should be considered for funding, rather than handing all of the government's broadband cash to major telecoms providers such as BT and Fujitsu.

However, Ms Garfield told the Guardian that entrusting these small-scale initiatives with taxpayers' money presents its own risks, warning that the operators could potentially take the cash then go out of business.

"We don't want local enthusiasts going in and ruining the network for others," she said.

One prominent community broadband project, NextGenUs, went to the wall earlier this year after revealing it had exhausted all serious discussions with potential investors.

Since April, the company has been looking for buyers for its super-fast broadband assets in Cumbria, east Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire.

At present, BT is prepared to allow rural projects to roll out their own fibre broadband, provided they are willing to hand over ownership to the telecoms giant in return for being connected to the national network.