Why you're not getting the broadband service you should be

You aren't getting the broadband service you should be. That may come as no surprise but now, I think we can say, it's official.

Ofcom has carried out its Strategic Review of Digital Communications and has basically decided that BT's Openreach service could and should be delivering better coverage, faster speeds and better customer service.

Openreach is the company that operates the network of cables which connect homes and businesses to the internet.

If you're a broadband subscriber to BT, Sky or TalkTalk, you are plugged-in.

Openreach is our only national broadband network - Virgin Media's covers just over half of the UK - and it is owned by BT, with rival suppliers paying to piggyback.

Ofcom created the structure ten years ago. It now believes it needs changing as Openreach "lacks independence".

Ofcom doesn't mention the word "monopoly" but that's the conclusion it's reached.

The regulator is not forcing BT to split the business off - although a spin-off is still on the table - instead it is insisting on greater separation.

Sky and TalkTalk have long complained that the current setup made BT lazy, incentivising it to sweat existing copper wires instead of replacing them with superfast fibre.

To paraphrase Sky's Jeremy Darroch: BT has been focussed on breeding faster horses when it should have been building cars.

Ofcom accepts this argument.

The regulator has effectively torn up BT plan for a "partly copper-based" network and imposed its own.

Fibre to the street cabinet? Not ambitious enough. Ofcom wants it to run to the front door of every home and office.

This is not just a matter of convenience. The health of broadband network is now a matter of national economic and social importance.

It's increasingly difficult to do business or carry out daily tasks without access to the internet. Fast, affordable broadband service is an essential utility, Ofcom wants to make it a universal right.

The regulator is to set higher minimum standards and will expect Openreach to meet them, it will also oblige Openreach to consult Sky and others about its investment plans.

But BT's rivals won't like some of Ofcom's remedies - Ofcom wants Openreach to open up its telegraph poles, ducts and tunnels to allow competitors to upgrade the network themselves.

In theory this is radical, in practice some have there doubts.

"Pretty pathetic" is the verdict of John Fingleton, former head of the Office of Fair Trading. "Conduct regulation has failed so let's have more of it."

BT's arguments have been steam-rollered, but there's a sting in the tail for everyone.

Ofcom's review goes beyond a new model for Openreach. The regulator wants to ensure all phone and broadband providers are delivering for customers.

It's introducing automatic compensation for consumers and businesses when things go wrong.

If you're not getting the broadband speeds you pay for, you may be in luck.