| Full title | Approved Document R volume 1: Physical infrastructure and network connection for new dwellings (2022 edition). Volume 2: Physical infrastructure for high-speed electronic communications networks (2022 edition) |
| Publisher | HM Government (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities at publication) |
| Legal basis | Building Regulations 2010, Schedule 1 Part R and regulations 44ZB, 44ZC and 44C, as amended by the Building etc. (Amendment) (England) (No. 2) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022/984) |
| Current edition | 2022 edition, published 4 October 2022, taking effect 26 December 2022. Replaced the 2016 edition |
| Status | Statutory guidance. The requirements in Part R are law; the approved document shows one way to meet them |
| Applies to | England |
What it covers
Approved Document R gives guidance on Part R of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations 2010, which covers infrastructure for electronic communications. The 2022 amendments added two requirements for new homes in England.
| Requirement | Applies to | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| RA1 Gigabit-ready physical infrastructure | Erection of a dwelling or of a building containing one or more dwellings | Volume 1 |
| RA2 Connection to a gigabit-capable network | Erection of a dwelling or of a building containing one or more dwellings | Volume 1 |
| R1 High-speed ready in-building physical infrastructure | New buildings other than dwellings, and existing buildings (including dwellings) undergoing major renovation. Excludes work to which RA1 applies | Volume 2 |
SI 2022/984 extends to England and Wales but applies in relation to England only. The approved document is for use in England.
Key definitions
| Term | Meaning (regulation 44C and Appendix A) |
|---|---|
| Gigabit-capable network | A public electronic communications network capable of download speeds of at least 1,000 Mbps |
| High-speed network | Speeds of at least 30 Mbps |
| Gigabit-ready physical infrastructure | Physical infrastructure or installations, including elements under joint ownership, intended to host wired or wireless gigabit-capable networks |
| Network termination point | A physical point at which an occupier is provided with access to high-speed electronic communications networks |
| Access point | A physical point inside or outside the building, accessible to network providers |
| Distribution point | A distribution point for a gigabit-capable public electronic communications network |
RA1: gigabit-ready infrastructure
Each new dwelling must have gigabit-ready physical infrastructure running from the network termination point to a distribution point. Where the developer has no right to install infrastructure in the land it would have to cross, the infrastructure runs as close as reasonably practicable, to a likely future location, or to an access point, in the order set out in RA1.
- Infrastructure can be a system of ducts, chambers, cabinets, towers and poles. A ducting system will usually reach the point where the site meets the public highway.
- In a building with more than one dwelling, a common access point is required, with in-building infrastructure (for example risers, floor boxes, cable trays and ducts) from it to each network termination point. It must have capacity for at least one gigabit-capable connection per dwelling.
- In-building infrastructure must meet Part B, including fire stopping at penetrations.
- Where an access point is fitted on a dwelling, moisture ingress and air leakage should be prevented.
- Where a gigabit-capable connection is not installed under RA2, the infrastructure should be protected from the elements so it is ready for a future gigabit connection. Buried ducting should be fully covered.
The approved document does not give duct sizes, bend radii, draw cords or burial depths. It refers to Street Works UK guidelines for the positioning of groundworks.
RA2: the connection and the £2,000 cost cap
Each new dwelling must also be provided with a working connection to a gigabit-capable public network. The requirement is technology neutral. Full fibre is the most likely route, but other technologies that can deliver the speed are acceptable. RA2 does not require the developer to arrange a broadband service contract.
Regulation 44ZC sets a cost cap of £2,000 per dwelling. If a gigabit connection cannot be secured within the cap, the requirement steps down:
| Step | Connection required |
|---|---|
| 1 | Gigabit-capable connection, if it can be secured within the cap |
| 2 | Otherwise, the next fastest: a high-speed connection within the cap |
| 3 | Otherwise, a USO-standard connection within the cap |
| 4 | If none can be secured within the cap, RA2 does not apply |
- The cap counts VAT and the cost from the network termination point to the distribution point, after deducting any network operator contribution.
- The cap excludes the cost of RA1 infrastructure, the developer’s administrative costs and end-user service costs.
- A developer is treated as able to secure a connection within the cap unless it invited at least two suitable network operators, and none offered a connection free or within the cap within the set period.
- RA1 infrastructure is still required when a slower connection, or no connection, is installed.
Exemptions and the network termination point
- RA1 and RA2 do not apply to buildings occupied by the Ministry of Defence or the armed forces, or otherwise for national security purposes (regulation 44ZB).
- RA1 does not apply in isolated areas where the cost of a USO-standard connection exceeds the cap and the prospect of a connection is too remote to justify the infrastructure. The developer must provide evidence.
- RA1 and RA2 also do not apply to dwellings created by a material change of use, to residential rooms in hotels, hostels, boarding houses, schools and hospitals, or to buildings exempt under Schedule 2.
At least one network termination point should be provided in a suitable position in each new dwelling. It is usually inside the dwelling in an open area, and a fixed electrical supply should be provided at it, complying with Part P, with controls accessible as guided by Part M.
The connectivity plan and transitional rules
Building control applications must include particulars of the connection to be provided, and evidence for any exemption or cost cap relied on, before the work starts. A model ‘connectivity plan’ form is in Appendix B; its use is optional. Part B of the form holds that evidence.
The new requirements do not apply where a building notice, initial notice or public body’s notice was given, or full plans deposited, before 26 December 2022, provided the work started before 26 December 2023.
The Secretary of State must review RA1, RA2 and R1 and publish a report. The first report was due before 7 May 2026.