Equipment Location
BT provided the first Estimate of Available Space on the 31st October 2005.
A copy of the Estimate was provided to Ofcom and to interested CPs and was also placed (as a temporary measure) on a secure part of the LLU web site at www.btinterconnect.com. We will be moving the Estimate to the www.btwholesale.com website shortly and this will then be the permanent channel of communication to the industry for this information.
BT will continue to provide regular Estimates of Available Space for other CPs to place equipment in BT telephone exchanges. This information will be updated each November.
The CPPUG (Communications Providers Property Users Group) which is referred to in the Undertakings as the group to be set up to represent CPs, has not been established by the industry, and discussions are underway as to whether this Group is still required.
On 3rd November BT held a meeting with Ofcom and some invited CPs to discuss the Estimate in more detail. We also discussed how we will need to work together to forecast requirements of space from CPs in the future. The information will be used to influence BT's strategic property plans moving forward.
Work has commenced in defining the commercial products that will form the exchange space portfolio. These will enable other CPs to place equipment listed in Annex 4 of the TSR Undertakings in BT Telephone Exchanges. An initial view on these proposals is expected by 22nd December 2005
It is envisaged that the ordering and provisioning process will be similar to that used for co-location purposes of Local Loop Unbundling (LLU). It will include a site survey to identify whether or not there is sufficient space at the Exchange. The survey will use existing BT processes to ensure that all orders from CPs or BT units are dealt with on the same basis and in the order that they are received.