The document provides guidance on complying with the Building Regulations 2010 in England, specifically focusing on the infrastructure for electronic communications in new dwellings. It outlines the requirements for installing and connection gigabit-ready physical infrastructure in new dwellings to ensure connectivity to gigabit-capable networks. Along with conditions under which connections can be modified or excluded based on cost.
The requirements in this edition of Approved Document R – Volume 1 are as follows:
RA1 – Gigabit-ready physical infrastructure
(1) Building work must be carried out so as to ensure that each dwelling is equipped with gigabit-ready physical infrastructure that extends from a network termination point for gigabit-capable public electronic communications networks and reaches—
(a) a distribution point, or
(b) where the person carrying out the building work (“the developer”) has no right to install gigabitready physical infrastructure in land in which it would have to be installed if it were to reach a distribution point, as close as is reasonably practicable to a distribution point, or
(c) where the developer has no such right and requirement RA2 is excluded or modified by regulation 44ZC, and would be so excluded or modified even if the gigabit-ready physical infrastructure were required to reach as close as is reasonably practicable to a distribution point—
(i) as close as is reasonably practicable to a location at which a distribution point is likely to be installed within the relevant 2-year period (a “likely future location”), or
(ii) where there is no likely future location that is closer to the building than the closest distribution point already installed, an access point for gigabit-capable public electronic communications networks, or
(d) where the developer has no right to install gigabit-ready physical infrastructure in land beyond the building, an access point for gigabitcapable public electronic communications networks .
(2) Where the work concerns a building containing more than one dwelling, the work must be carried out so as to ensure that the building is equipped in addition with a common access point for gigabit-capable public electronic communications networks.
(3) In this paragraph—
“distribution point” means a distribution point for a gigabit-capable public electronic communications network;“the relevant 2-year period” means the period of 2 years beginning with the earlier of the following—
(a) the day on which a building notice, initial notice or public body’s notice relating to work to which this paragraph applies is given;
(b) the day on which full plans relating to building work to which this paragraph applies are deposited.
Limits on application
Requirements RA1 and RA2 apply to the erection of a dwelling or of a building that contains one or more dwellings.
RA2 – Connection to gigabit-capable network
Each dwelling must in addition be provided with a connection to a gigabit-capable public electronic communications network.
Limits on application
Requirements RA1 and RA2 apply to the erection of a dwelling or of a building that contains one or more dwellings.

