17 March 2008
We received a petition asking:
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Scrap the Monopoly that Kingston Communications hold in Hull for Broadband users."
Details of Petition:
"Hull residents have no choice but to use Kingston communications to access the world wide web. We are missing out on super deals offerd by companies such as Orange and Sky who both offer free internet access to their subscibers.It is ironic that William Wilberforce was from Hull but Hull residents are still held as slaves by Karoo Internet (kingston Comms) The level of service offered by Kingston Comms is well below par and well documented. Surely competition is a good thing."
Read the Government’s response
Thank you for the e-petition asking the Government about Kingston Communications and broadband users.
Karoo currently provides the only Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ASDL) broadband services in Kingston-upon-Hull and surrounding areas serviced by Kingston Communications (KCOM). However, Karoo does not have any monopoly on the provision of services and regulations that are already in place enable competitors to enter this market if they chose to.
The Independent regulator Office of Communications (Ofcom) stipulates that KCOM must make wholesale broadband access products available to organisations that wish to provide internet services via its network. KCOM meets the requirement and offers a range of wholesale broadband products to meet the needs of ISPs (Internet Service Providers); therefore the broadband market in Hull and parts of East Yorkshire served by KCOM is open to any ISP who wants to offer broadband via KCOM’s network