This document provides guidance on complying with the Building Regulations 2010 regarding high-speed-ready in-building physical infrastructure for electronic communications networks in England. It outlines the requirements for new buildings and major renovations to ensure future installation of high-speed broadband capabilities.
Requirement R1 mandates that new buildings and major renovations must be equipped with infrastructure for high-speed electronic communications networks. This includes provisions for future installation of copper or fiber-optic cables capable of delivering broadband speeds over 30 Mbps. Certain buildings and works are exempt from Requirement R1, including new dwellings under different regulations, small detached buildings, and those that would alter the character of listed buildings or conservation areas.
The requirements in this edition of Approved Document R – Volume 2 are as follows:
R1 – High-speed-ready in-building physical infrastructure
(1) Building work must be carried out so as to ensure that the building is equipped with a high-speed-ready in-building physical infrastructure, up to a network termination point for high-speed 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 high-speed electronic communications networks.
Limits on application
Requirements R1 applies to building work, other than building work to which paragraph RA1 applies, that consists of-
(a) the erection of buildings; or
(b) major renovation works to buildins.
Archived copy of Approved Document R
Approved Document R – 2016 edition
Valid from 1 January 2017 until 26 December 2022
The requirements in this edition were:
R1 – In-building physical infrastructure
PDF file: 295 KB, 18 pages