February 2006
Welcome
January 21st 2006 was a significant milestone in the delivery of BT’s Undertakings. It marked four months since the Undertakings were agreed and was the date by which BT undertook to complete a major realignment of our organisational structure.
Openreach, the new business created within BT to deliver installation and maintenance services on behalf of industry, opened for business on January 11th and formally launched on January 21st.
I am pleased to report that BT met the December 31st 2005 deadline for delivering equivalence of input (EoI) for IPstream as an input into BT’s retail broadband service for new End Users. This is one of the first in a series of EoI deliverables at the heart of demonstrating equality of access.
Across BT, the organisational, systems and process development work required to deliver multiple undertakings is well underway. I’m delighted that all December and January deadlines specified in the Undertakings were met.
A major programme of communications for BT people around the Undertakings and what they mean is well advanced, and is supported by various forms of training.
BT is committed to keeping industry informed as we progress towards delivery of all the commitments we made, and feedback from the first issue has been broadly positive. I hope you continue to find this regular newsletter a useful part of that commitment.
Peter McCarthy-Ward
Director of Equivalence
If you have any questions regarding the content of this bulletin please email tsrundertakings@bt.com
A major programme of communications, training and engagement is underway across BT to ensure that all our people are aware of what the undertakings are and how they may affect the way they work and make decisions.
View complete article "BT People Learn More About the Undertakings"
Throughout the latter part of 2005, BT Wholesale and Openreach teams held industry events, and met with customers to discuss the future of account management following the launch of Openreach. Both parts of BT have created separate account management structures within their respective organisations.
The Contract Management Mechanism refers to a process that can be used by BT and industry if the parties reach an impasse in contract negotiations. BT is in discussion with industry on the details of how this might work.
View complete article "Contract Management Mechanism Update"
175 executives from across industry attended a series of three seminars hosted by BT before Christmas – in London, Birmingham and Manchester – to explain more about what BT was doing around the Undertakings and to get feedback and views from industry.
View complete article "Industry Turns Out in Numbers to Learn More"
Industry feedback on the first issue of the Undertakings Bulletin has identified a requirement for people outside BT to understand more about the Undertakings and what they mean. BT has produced an overview.
View complete article "BT Responds to Industry Request for Clarity on Undertakings"
BT published its first set of quarterly KPIs against the undertakings on January 31st 2006.
View complete article "BT Publishes First Quarterly KPIs Against Undertakings"
BT Wholesale has created three separate product management units within BT Wholesale.
View complete article "BT Wholesale Product Organisations – Update"
By June 30th 2006 IPStream needs to consume LLU from Openreach on identical terms to external CPs, as part of delivering Equivalence of Input for SMPF and MPF LLU.
View complete article "IPStream Consuming LLU for New Customers"
BT has met its Undertaking for Equivalence of Input (EoI) for IPStream as an input into its retail broadband services by the agreed deadline of December 31st 2005.
View complete article "BT Successfully Meets First Equivalence of Input Deadline"
For DataStream, Partial Private Circuits (PPCs) and Carrier Pre-selection (CPS), the Undertakings required BT to provide improved transparency to communication providers to demonstrate that it is not disadvantaging industry compared to its own downstream businesses.
BT undertook to consult with communications providers on leased lines and to seek out their requirements by January 22nd. The programme of industry consultation was initiated on December 13th 2005 and took the form of a survey.
Openreach – the new part of BT created to deliver installation and maintenance services on behalf of Britain’s telephone and internet service providers – opened for business on January 11th 2006. The launch was supported by an extensive national advertising campaign.