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
-
Area Code
Phone Number
Network Footprint & Technology Deployment
Which fixed access technologies do you deploy?
*
FTTP (PON / XGS-PON / Active Ethernet)
FTTB / FTTN Hybrid
Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)
Other - Please specify
Do you offer wholesale access to your network?
*
Yes - always
Yes - limited access to select partners
No -not currently offered
Not currently, but planning within 12 months
Total number of premises passed by your FTTP network? Enter n/a or don't know (dk) when unsure or no data available.
*
Total premises Ready for Service (RFS)? Enter n/a or don't know (dk) when unsure or no data available.
*
Will you provide postcode / UPRN coverage data for mapping?
*
Yes - please send secure upload link
No
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.
*
Current subscriber take-up rate (%). Take-up is defined as the proportion of premises (residential and business) where a specific broadband service (e.g., full-fibre, superfast) is available, that have actually signed up for and are using that service.
*
Split of connections (%) as of December 2025?
*
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)
Residential churn rate (annualised %)
Products, Pricing & Service Offerings
Which of the following products / services do you offer?
*
Residential Broadband
Business Broadband
Leased Lines / Ethernet Services
Dark Fibre
Voice Services (VoIP)
TV / Content Packages
Mobile Services
Other - Please specify
Do you offer symmetrical speeds?
*
Yes
No
Please list typical tariffs / price points for key products (e.g. entry, mid, premium tiers)
Do you bundle broadband with other services?
Yes, with Voice
Yes, with TV / Content
Yes, with Mobile
No
Investment, Expenditure & Financing
CapEx on network build (£)
*
Operating & maintenance spend (£)
*
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.
*
Rows
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.
*
Rows
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
Please explain briefly which DSIT interventions have been most or least helpful (e.g., Project Gigabit contract structure, voucher schemes, innovation funding, regulation alignment with Ofcom, or investment environment).
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
How do you expect the Telecoms Security Act (TSA) Code of Practice to affect your operations in the near term (2026 - 2027) ?
Minimal operational impact
Moderate compliance cost
Significant compliance burden
Uncertain / awaiting guidance
Long-term (beyond 2028)?
Improves network resilience with manageable cost
Adds ongoing cost without clear benefits
Risks diverting resources from deployment
Unsure
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
If yes, how many Area 3 premises are passed / RFS as of December 2025.
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?
*
Rows
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
How anti-competitive do you consider Openreach’s Equinox pricing (including the 1200/120 Mbps and 1800/120 Mbps wholesale tiers effective 1 Feb 2026), and future WLA/LLA pricing proposals?
*
Not anti-competitive
1
2
3
4
Severely anti-competitive
5
1 is Not anti-competitive, 5 is Severely anti-competitive
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?
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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
Future Outlook & Final Feedback
What are your organisation's key priorities for the next 2–3 years?
*
What opportunities do you see for the UK Altnet sector?
Any final comments or suggestions for INCA to put forward to policy makers?
Consent & Data Use
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