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[WWWombat]

I'd swapped from reading the report, to checking reaction. I'd better go back to the report shortly.

A couple of things have stuck me though:

- Whatever happens, Ofcom seem to have just set their stall out to get new entrants putting their own fibre down - irrespective of what BT and VM get up to with fibre or copper (in fact, they might prefer it if they stuck to copper). If the likes of Vodafone or Sky pass up on this, they will have failed.

- Back in LLU days, Ofcom essentially made the most valuable part of Openreach the copper in the ground. Now the most valuable part would appear to be a hole in the ground.

[gt94sss2]

This is not the tread for me to re-hash all the things as to what is wrong and why I do believe we are in the digital dark ages, suffice to say that there is loads of evidence about what has gone wrong and why the investment has all been in the wrong place, there is so much that BT could have done which they have not and now need to be 'encouraged' to do. Try living more than a mile from a cabinet or running a business in a rural area it is nothing short of hopeless. As to what MT did I'm sure she did not think at the time that BT would become the behemoth it has and would be so slow to move and invest. You will have to forgive me for not thinking that change will happen in the timeframe or scale that is needed.

I haven't yet read the report but one cannot base policy on the lowest common denominator - the % of people who live over a mile away from a cabinet is tiny and at some stage those living in 'rural' situations are going to have to pay more to reflect their position. Even the current voice USO has limitations as do the water, gas/utility suppliers.

The hard truth is concentratingso much on availability has probably resulted in the 'commercially viable' areas to get get slower speeds than they would otherwise get/hindered FTTP in those areas

consult on introducing automatic compensation;
Broadband, landline and mobile customers will no longer have to seek redress themselves, but will instead receive refunds automatically for any loss or reduction of service.

Good. Although I need more info before making a judgement as to how this will work in practice.   Too often in the past it is difficult for the EU to get compensation with some ISPs making it difficult using the excuse they have to claim from Openreach.   I fail to see what difference this makes to any other industry.

As regulators tend to do, it looks like Ofcom have taken an existing development and reannounced it to make their report have 'more substance'.

The November 2015 update from the OTA shows that the industry are already considering this:

A 3rd tranche of SLA/SLG had been submitted on 10 November 2015 comprising of 10 proposals; six from CPs and four from Openreach. These will be dealt with under the FAMR process, so the formal end date of negotiations is 10 May 2016. The proposals relate to:

    Payment of missed appointment SLGs for cancelled orders and faults
    Payment of Late Repair SLGs following an incorrect Line Test OK (LTOK) response
    Payment of Late Provision SLGs for cancelled provision orders
    Payment of SLGs for WLR sub-order types
    Continuous payment of SLGs for repeat faults
    Payment of SLGs for FTTC Dead On Arrivals showing ADSL service as working
    Calculation of WLR3 late provision SLG payments
    LLU MPF and SMPF late provision SLG quantum
    LLU SMPF 12 week repair SLG
    LLU MPF SLG payments on late KCI3/completion notice of repair

What I would like to personally see is these proposals linked to the one which allows Openreach to talk to end users [which the ISPs vetoed] - and that those ISPs who don't want OR to talk to their customers to help fix faults etc. get zero or reduced compensation levels..

[ryan2390]

*snip*

Our ducts and poles have been open to competitors since 2009 but there has been very little interest to date. We are happy to let other companies use our ducts and poles but they will need to invest large sums and accept long paybacks as we have done.
The UK is already ahead of its European peers when it comes to superfast broadband and we want it to maintain that position. That’s why BT is keen to make significant additional investments. These would address slow speeds in the final five per cent of the UK, give SMEs more options and deliver a new ultrafast network.

*snip*

I think the bit which makes me twitch is "We are happy to let other companies use our ducts and poles but they will need to invest large sums and accept long paybacks as we have done."

Community led and funded projects probably don't have the sort of money to be able to use OR ducts and poles. Bigger companies like Sky and Virgin may very well do but community projects like B4RN don't. Whilst it sounds like a great idea I'm not sure as to how much good this will actually do. I don't think it's in Openreach's interest to make it easier for other providers to use their ducts and poles.

I doubt I'll read the report myself. Not really got the inclination and I have other things I should really be doing but I will keep my eyes out on here and elsewhere see what else pops up

[sevenlayermuddle]

I have a significant length of BT ducting under my garden, serving myself and neighbours, as well as some flying wires that lead out from a shared electricity pole.   BT have of course a wayleave agreement.  It has never caused me a problem, the wayleave grants them fairly sweeping rights but the few times they've needed access it has been courteous and amicable.

Not entirely sure however that I like the idea of the rights in the wayleave being extended to 'all and sundry'.   I'll think I shall have to dig it out and carefully check the wording. 

I wonder how many other BT wayleave agreements might now be deeply scrutinised by landowners, with an eye for a weakness that allows it to be challenged...

[Black Sheep]

"Community led and funded projects probably don't have the sort of money to be able to use OR ducts and poles. Bigger companies like Sky and Virgin may very well do but community projects like B4RN don't. Whilst it sounds like a great idea I'm not sure as to how much good this will actually do. I don't think it's in Openreach's interest to make it easier for other providers to use their ducts and poles."

I don't think it matters whether it's in OR interests or not, TBH Ryan. If the round-table meetings between OFCOM/OR/ISP's dictate that's the best way forward to give the EU choice in 'Digital Britain', then that's what will happen.
As already pointed out, our ducts have been open to anyone to 'Share' space since 2008/9 ...... what the tariffs are, I wouldn't know it's not part of my job description ..... and I wouldn't expect B4RN would want to use our ducts even if they did have the cash to do so. Their projects are built on the help and assistance of the local community.

Time as always, will be the teller. 

[Bowdon]

Is this document the result of a consultation and it'll go to another stage to be implemented, or is this it? i.e. we just got this report, wrote some things down and thats all?

[NewtronStar]

LOL It's now in the hands of the larger ISP's to put their money where their mouth is, you know it's all talktalk and no action and Sky is the limit.

[WWWombat]

Is this document the result of a consultation and it'll go to another stage to be implemented, or is this it? i.e. we just got this report, wrote some things down and thats all?

It is the result of a consultation, but at a strategy level.

The output then feeds a direction into a number of tactical consultations. Some ongoing or planned, and some that will be created. These will be the things that get implemented.

Unless ...

On some of them, BT can bypass some of the inherent slowness of a consultation by making a proposal to all their ISP customers, and reaching an agreement with them.

I suspect they'll aim to follow a speedier path so that they get to the "stable regulation" point they need to trigger investment in, and deployment of, G.Fast.

[niemand]

Announced on ITV news ...... no split confirmed. 

No immediate split. However there's a possibility MPs will be pushing for it in greater numbers this month, after Grant Shapps and his disinformation piece.

Ofcom are off to Brussels to try and get some more powers. I suspect their end game is to harass BT Group with regulation until they decide to spin off Openreach voluntarily.

I'm far from happy with this. I would say it'll be the worst possible outcome. A period of uncertainty where BT are bounced from pillar to post by politicians, and if we cut to it Ofcom is as political as they come, and are reluctant to invest followed by a period of legal wrangling.

I haven't blogged about it as I can't be unbiased. I'd be too inclined to line Ofcom and BT Group up and give them a tongue lashing one after the other.

Not to mention that I need to spend some time considering whether to run with the 50Mb fully managed symmetrical leased line quote I've been offered or rent office space, both of them frankly pathetically being cheaper than buying a best effort, zero SLA FTTPoD product.

[S.Stephenson]

Announced on ITV news ...... no split confirmed. 

No immediate split. However there's a possibility MPs will be pushing for it in greater numbers this month, after Grant Shapps and his disinformation piece.

Ofcom are off to Brussels to try and get some more powers. I suspect their end game is to harass BT Group with regulation until they decide to spin off Openreach voluntarily.

I'm far from happy with this. I would say it'll be the worst possible outcome. A period of uncertainty where BT are bounced from pillar to post by politicians, and if we cut to it Ofcom is as political as they come, and are reluctant to invest followed by a period of legal wrangling.

I haven't blogged about it as I can't be unbiased. I'd be too inclined to line Ofcom and BT Group up and give them a tongue lashing one after the other.

Not to mention that I need to spend some time considering whether to run with the 50Mb fully managed symmetrical leased line quote I've been offered or rent office space, both of them frankly pathetically being cheaper than buying a best effort, zero SLA FTTPoD product.

I'd be interested to see how the costs of FTTPoD2 pan out, I was considering getting FTTPoD at the prices first announced the price increases especially line rental killed it stone dead for me.

[niemand]

I'd be interested to see how the costs of FTTPoD2 pan out, I was considering getting FTTPoD at the prices first announced the price increases especially line rental killed it stone dead for me.

I'm surprised. It was truly a bargain in no way blatantly and cynically increased in price to take advantage of the Superconnected Cities voucher scheme. 

I've abandoned the idea. It's over-priced, under-specified and a pain in the backside for both end-users and providers alike.

I could have a 100Mb EAD with all private line bells and whistles installed for £2,400, on a 1 year contract only I might add, or pay £6,126 to install FTTPoD and be nailed with a 3 year contract. The 100Mb private line, guaranteed bandwidth right the way to the Internet wouldn't start costing more than FTTPoD over total cost of ownership until month 24.

The product was a good idea extremely badly implemented and cynically priced to take advantage of government subsidies and kill demand as Openreach didn't have the resources to fulfil the orders in a reasonable timescale.

[S.Stephenson]

In my case it would have been £1500-1900 ex VAT for installation and annual rental of £456 so over the three years it would have only been £3000-3400, it would likely be more as ISP's unfortunately enjoy profits.

After the price increase £6064 ex VAT......

If they bring it back at closer to the old prices and like the trial have the speed set at 1gbs download and 100mbps upload i'd order it in a heartbeat.