Building Regulations (England) - Guide to Approved Document R - Connectivity

In a world where everything runs online, a new building without a lightning-fast internet connection is obsolete the moment it’s finished.
Approved Document R, which became a legal requirement on December 26, 2022, is designed to prevent this by mandating digital connectivity for all new building work in England.
This regulation fundamentally changes how we view utilities, treating data access as being just as essential as running water or electricity.

The Two Volumes of Connectivity
• Volume 1 (New Homes): This is the most stringent requirement. Developers must provide both the physical infrastructure and a live, working gigabit connection.
• Volume 2 (Commercial & Major Renovations): This focuses on making sure the building is "high-speed ready" (30 Mbps) by installing the necessary internal infrastructure, though it does not require a live service.

The "Digital Plumbing" (RA1 and RA2) For new homes, compliance is split into two simple requirements:
• RA1 (Physical Infrastructure): Think of this as the "pipes." You must provide a continuous, uninterrupted path (ducting and access chambers) from the street’s network distribution point all the way to the terminal inside the home.
• RA2 (Live Service): This is the "data" flowing through those pipes. It must be a functional connection capable of 1,000 Mbps (gigabit standard). The regulation is technology neutral, meaning you can use fiber, high-speed cable, wireless, or satellite, as long as it hits the speed target.

The £2,000 Financial Safety Net The regulations include a hard cost cap of £2,000 per dwelling for the live RA2 connection. If getting a gigabit service costs more than this, you follow a "performance ladder":
1. Try for Gigabit (1,000 Mbps).
2. If too expensive, step down to High-speed (at least 30 Mbps).
3. If still over the cap, fall back to a basic connection. Note: You must still install the physical RA1 "pipes" regardless of the cost of the live service.

Mandatory Paperwork: The Connectivity Plan
You cannot wait until the end of a project to think about data. You must submit a Connectivity Plan to Building Control before you even start work.
• Part A: For standard compliance.
• Part B: Used if you are claiming an exemption because quotes from at least two network operators exceeded the £2,000 cap.
Future-proof your next project by ensuring it meets these new digital mandates from the ground up.

Analogy for Understanding:
Think of Approved Document R as a mandate for "Digital Plumbing."
Just as you wouldn't dream of building a modern house without the pipes (RA1) and a connection to the water main (RA2) so that water actually flows when you turn on the tap, the law now requires you to install the data pipes and a live connection so that "digital water" is flowing the moment a resident moves in.

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