INCA UK Independent Network Operator Survey 2026
Help inform policy and regulatory discussions by providing detailed insights on your organisation's network, operations, challenges, and outlook. All survey data is encrypted and will be kept strictly confidential. All results will be anonymised and aggregated to report overall key performance indicators where required.
Organisation & Respondent Details
Organisation Name
*
Respondent Name
*
Respondent Job Title/Role
Respondent Email Address
*
example@example.com
Respondent Phone Number
-
Country Code
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Area Code
Phone Number
Network Footprint & Technology Deployment
Total number of premises passed by your FTTP network? Enter n/a or don't know (dk) when unsure or no data available.
*
Take-up & Financial Metrics
Please provide your total number of retail broadband (including residential and business) subscribers. Enter n/a or don't know (dk) when unsure or no data available.
*
Considering your subscriber base, rank the speed-tier take-up levels as of December 2025.
What is your monthly broadband ARPU (Average Revenue Per User, £)
Annual revenue from broadband services (£, last financial year)
Investment, Expenditure & Financing
CapEx on network build (£) each year (excluding previous total investment)
Operating & maintenance spend (£) each year (excluding previous total Opex costs)
Did your organisation access any new financing during the 2025/2026 financial year?
Yes - new equity
Yes - new debt
Yes - vendor finance
No - unable to secure
Other - Please specify
Ofcom Telecoms Access Review (TAR) 2026 & Policy Environment
Rate the following TAR-related challenges in terms of your future operations.
*
Not an Issue
Minor Issue
Moderate Issue
Significant Issue
Severe Issue
Discounted wholesale prices by SMP operator
Reduced regulation on SMP operator(s)
Higher PIA costs
Risk of geographic discrimination
Need for marketing investment to drive take-up
To what extent do you agree that Ofcom’s TAR framework will continue to incentivise investment while ensuring sustainable competition, take-up and affordability?
Strongly Agree
1
2
3
4
Strongly Disagree
5
1 is Strongly Agree, 5 is Strongly Disagree
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements.
*
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree
Current regulatory environment supports Altnet growth
Ofcom's approach to Area 3 is effective
Openreach PIA is accessible and cost-effective
Copper retirement is managed appropriately
There is a level playing field for all providers
Regulatory uncertainty impedes investment
Do you feel Ofcom’s proposed WLA and LLA Pricing Remedies will adequately protect Altnets from predatory or anti-competitive pricing by SMP operators (e.g. Openreach) during the next TAR period (2026–2031)?
Yes
No
How effective do you believe DSIT’s recent interventions have been in supporting investment and competition in the independent broadband sector? (Think of Project Gigabit, market monitoring, funding mechanisms, and engagement with Ofcom and BDUK.)
Not effective at all
1
2
3
4
Very effective
5
1 is Not effective at all, 5 is Very effective
Looking ahead, what would you like DSIT to prioritise to best support Altnet growth and sustainable competition?
Simplifying and accelerating Project Gigabit procurement
Improving alignment between DSIT, Ofcom and BDUK policy decisions
Targeted funding for harder-to-reach or Area 3 builds
Support for consolidation or shared infrastructure models
Incentives for consumer take-up and affordability programmes
Innovation or green network grants
Other - Please specify
On balance, how confident are you that Ofcom, DSIT and Openreach policies together will create a stable and investable environment for Altnets through 2031?
Not confident
1
2
3
4
Very confident
5
1 is Not confident, 5 is Very confident
Ofcom Area 3
Do you operate in Ofcom Area 3?
Yes
No
Not Sure
How concerned are you about Area 3 regulation impact on securing future investment?
Not concerned
1
2
3
4
Very concerned
5
1 is Not concerned, 5 is Very concerned
How concerned are you about Area 3 regulation impact on current or future network deployments in these areas?
Not concerned
1
2
3
4
Very concerned
5
1 is Not concerned, 5 is Very concerned
Operational & Sector Challenges
How significant are the following challenges for your organisation?
*
Not a Challenge
Minor Challenge
Moderate Challenge
Significant Challenge
Severe Challenge
Access to finance
Attracting skilled workforce
Overbuild by Openreach
Overbuild by Altnets (incl. VMO2/nexfibre)
PIA availability and costs
Street works / planning delays
Securing wayleaves and property access
Openreach Equinox offers
Customer acquisition
WLA pricing uncertainty
Copper retirement / exchange closures
Other - Please specify
Please describe any other major challenge(s) not listed above.
Openreach Products & Copper Retirement
Have Openreach's Equinox offers had an impact on your commercial strategy?
Not impacted
Slightly impacted - minor pricing adjustments
Moderately impacted - material churn
Significantly impacted - build paused / redirected
If Ofcom applies stricter price controls to low-speed FTTP products, how will you adapt?
Focus on premium tiers
Lower-cost builds
Exit some areas
Bundle services / add value
Other - Please specify
Do you use Openreach Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA), products?
Yes
No
If yes, compare your current administrative burden when using Openreach’s PIA compared to last year?
Significantly worse than last year
Slightly worse
About the same
Slightly better
Much better
What should Openreach do to improve responsiveness and collaboration on the PIA product?
Faster issue resolution / fault ticket turnaround
Simpler documentation / fewer approval layers
Clearer cost transparency
Joint digital mapping tools
Dedicated liaison / escalation channel for Altnets
Don't know
Other - Please specify
Are you seeing accelerated exchange closures in your footprint?
Yes
No
Not Sure
How concerned are you about BT / Openreach accelerating copper retirement and exchange closures ahead of current Ofcom timelines?
Not concerned
1
2
3
4
Very concerned
5
1 is Not concerned, 5 is Very concerned
What support measures would help manage copper retirement?
Clearer migration windows
Transitional funding for low take-up premises
Limits on proactive migration discounts
Better migration data sharing
Other - Please specify
Consent & Data Use
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