INCA and ISPA have written jointly to ministers warning that the Higher-Risk Building (HRB) Regulations 2023 are creating a growing regulatory blockage that is preventing routine fibre installations in blocks of flats across England.
The letters — sent in May and followed up in July — report that ambiguity over the definition of ‘material alteration’ in the regulations has led the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) to require approval for standard telecoms installations that should be exempt. BSR application backlogs have extended to six to twelve months, and operators have now paused all rollout to higher-risk buildings.
The consequence is stark: tens of thousands of households in affected buildings face digital exclusion, broadband rollout targets will be missed, infrastructure competition is being undermined, and investor confidence is being damaged.
INCA and ISPA are calling for urgent ministerial action: immediate formal guidance clarifying that routine telecoms installations are exempt from BSR approval, followed by a short-term amendment to the HRB Regulations to permanently remove telecoms installations from scope.
Both letters are available on our Resources page.