Ofcom s DSL Fact Sheet

Transcription

1 Ofcom s DSL Fact Sheet March 2004 This update reports progress made with ADSL and Local Loop Unbundling (LLU). It is not a complete overview of the DSL market, but gives a snapshot of the current issues and upcoming developments. For further information visit Ofcom s Internet and Broadband Brief.

2 Contents Progress update ADSL LLU Developments DSL LLU Current open cases Recently closed cases Annex A DSL Providers Annex B LLU Statistics - 7 -

3 Progress update This update focuses on progress made in the last month and is not intended as a complete overview of ADSL roll-out or the LLU process. For background information, please click on the following: ADSL or LLU. ADSL Key DSL statistics at the end of February 2004 Number of BT (-1-) enabled exchanges: 2354 DSL availability (via DSL): 85% of UK homes and businesses DSL take up: 2.1 million DSL connections However BT also advises that due to technical limitations, 3% of those living within an enabled exchange area will not be able to receive broadband services. Once an exchange has been enabled to deliver ADSL, BT offers a range of wholesale products to service providers on the same terms and conditions to enable them to deliver the service to the end-user. LLU Key LLU statistics at the end of February 2004 Number of fully unbundled loops: 6052 Number of unbundled shared loops: 3499 Total number of unbundled loops: 9551 Completed Physical Co-location facilities: 72 Completed Distant location facilities: 56 General statistical data Total number of exchanges in the UK Approx. 5,600 Number of fixed lines in the UK Approx. 35,000,000 Number of BT provided lines 28,900,000 1 All of Kingston Communications exchanges in the Hull area are enabled to deliver ADSL - 1 -

4 Developments DSL BT Introduces new pricing structure for ADSL On 2 January BT introduced a new pricing structure for ADSL Exchange Activate, the solution designed to deliver ADSL broadband to small communities. ADSL Exchange Activate allows a community of users to purchase from BT Wholesale (via a service provider) the network capability to provide high speed internet access to 30 end users. When the service was launched (July 2003) it was charged as a single up-front payment of 45,000 for 30 users for a three year period. The new wholesale pricing model reduces the up-front payment to 25,000 and introduces connection and monthly line rental charges at the same rate as BT IPStream Home 500. Broadband Movers Pilot On the 5 January BT began a pilot scheme which it hopes will enable End Users to request a new broadband service at their new address on the same day they move in and take over ownership of the BT PSTN line. The aim is to reduce the break in broadband services currently experienced during a move of premises. Two million wholesale broadband connections On 20 February BT announced it had passed its self imposed target of two million wholesale broadband connections. LLU Throughout January and February 2004 work was completed at 60 physical colocation and distant location sites. LLU services are now widely available and 9551 loops have been connected. Since the last update services have been requested at over 28 BT sites

5 Current open cases Ofcom is conducting a number of investigations into allegations of anti-competitive behaviour. Some investigations were the result of industry complaints; Ofcom itself has initiated others. More details of Compliance casework are available on Ofcom s online Competition Bulletin (1) IPStream to DataStream Migration / Equal terms for DataStream Tiscali and Thus have requested that BT make available a reasonably priced automated migration product for migration from IPStream to DataStream. Tiscali and Thus allege that the proposed price for IPStream to DataStream migrations is too high, and does not reflect actual costs of provision. Further, it has been alleged that BT is obstructing customer migration by imposing excessive network downtime, refusing to work at off-peak times to minimise disruption or to automate the process such that it operates effectively. Tiscali and Thus also requested BT align the minimum contract terms for IPStream and DataStream. Contact: Ruth Gibson ( [email protected]) (2) BT Openworld s Broadband Pricing: Following the Competition Appeal Tribunal's decision in Freeserve.com plc v Director General of Telecommunications of 16 April 2002, the Director General has undertaken to re-assess certain pricing issues raised by Freeserve in a letter to Oftel dated 26 March The Director General of Telecommunications' (the "Director") reassessment of these pricing issues raised was concluded by way of a non-infringement decision on 20 November 2003 and published as a closure entry on the Ofcom Competition Bulletin. The Director's decision has again been appealed by Freeserve to the Competition Appeal Tribunal (the "Tribunal"). Contact: Philipp Girardet ( [email protected]) - 3 -

6 Recently closed cases (1) BT's volume discount scheme for IPStream and DataStream Oftel received a complaint from Energis, Tiscali and Your Communications about BT's volume discounts for IPStream and DataStream. The volume discount scheme applied to IPStream and DataStream rental charges on the basis of predetermined spending commitments by customers. It has been alleged that by implementing the volume discount scheme for IPStream and DataStream, BT is abusing its dominant position in the markets for the provision of wholesale bitstream services to ISPs and large businesses and corporate customers. Following BT's decision to change the structure of the volume discount scheme as announced on 19 January 2004, Ofcom does not consider that the current discount scheme, to which the original complaint relates, warrants any further investigation. Ofcom is therefore closing the case. Contact: Ruth Gibson ( [email protected]) (2) Terms in the Access Network Facilities (ANF) agreement Swedia Networks UK Limited complained that Paragraph 17.3 of the ANF agreement was inconsistent with paragraph of the Oftel Determination LLU: The Terms of the Access Network facilities Agreement (The 'Determination'). In response to Ofcom's investigation, BT has proposed an amendment to paragraph 17.3 of the ANF Agreement to follow the text of the Determination. This proposal will be put to the LLU Industry Group in March and, once approved, incorporated into the ANF agreement. In light of BT's proposal Ofcom does not consider that further investigation is necessary at this time. Ofcom is closing the case but will monitor the implementation of the contractual amendments and re-open the case should any problems arise. Contact: Ian Vaughan ( [email protected]) - 4 -

7 (3) Suspected discrimination by BT in the provision of customer order handling procedures for BT Broadband access products Following BT's publication of the criteria on which BT Wholesale will expedite all customers' orders for IPStream and DataStream (published within the terms of its Customer Service Plan (CSP)), Ofcom does not consider that the scope and extent of BT's escalation and expedite process, to which the original complaint relates, warrants further investigation at this time. Ofcom intends to publish guidance on non-discrimination obligations later in Ofcom is therefore closing the case. Contact: Richard Thompson (

8 Annex A DSL Providers Following Oftel's Direction of 21 June 2002 (click for details), which required BT to provide interconnection to its broadband DSL network, and recent changes to BT's interconnection products, other operators now have the option of offering competing wholesale products to those offered by BT. Ofcom is now responsible for ensuring that the prices for the interconnection products required by other operators to compete with BT are set at a level that encourages competition between different providers of broadband services. Wholesale DSL products can also be provided by the incumbent operators, BT and Kingston or by LLU operators. Wholesale services can be obtained from the operators listed below: BT Bulldog Communications Easynet Ednet Kingston Communications Telefónica UK Thus Communications Tiscali

9 Annex B LLU Statistics Total number of exchanges in the UK Approx. 5,600 Number of fixed lines in the UK Approx. 35,000,000 Number of BT provided lines 28,900,000 Enabled LLU exchanges Site name Acocks Green Acton Altrincham Ardwick Ashton Under Hill Aston Cross Attercliffe Basford Basingstoke Battersea Bayswater Beaconsfield Bedford Belfast Bermondsey Birmingham Central Bishopsgate Blackfriars Bloomsbury Bolton Bracknell Bradwell Brentwood Bridport Brixton Bromley Bury Byfield Calne Cambridge Canonbury Leeds Leith Leicester Central Leominster Lewes Leytonstone Liverpool Lower Holloway Maida Vale Maidenhead Manchester Market Bosworth Marylebone Mayfair Merton Park Middlesbrough Middleton Mill Hill Montfort Monument Morley Morningside Muswell Hill Newcastle New Cross New Southgate Nine Elms North Finchley North Paddington Nottingham Longbow Oakham - 7 -

10 Site name Carlisle Chelsea Cheltenham Cherry Hinton Chertsey Chiswick Clerkenwell Colindale Cosham Covent Garden Coventry Cricklewood Crouch End Croydon Dartford Derby Ealing East Acton Eccles Edgbaston Edgware Edinburgh Euston Faraday Fareham Feltham Finchley Fleet Fulham Gatley Glasgow Central Glasgow Douglas Gloucester Golders Green Greenwich Guildford Hammersmith Hampstead Harrow Havant Overbury Oldham Paddington Parsons Green Perivale Pimlico Poplar Portsmouth Portsmouth North Primrose Hill Pudsey Putney Reading Central Reading South Redcliffe Richmond Kew Rose Street Royal Science Park Sheffield Sheldon Shepherds Bush Shoreditch Slough Main Soho South Harrow South Kensington Southbank Southwark Stockton Stockport Stoke on Trent Stratford Stubbington Tottenham Trafford Twickenham Urmston Uxbridge Vauxhall - 8 -

11 Site name Haverford west Headingley Hendon Henley on Thames High Wycombe Holborn Hove Hunslet Hunts Cross Isleworth Kemptown Kensal Green Kensington Garden Kentish Town Kings Cross Kingsland Green Kingsmead Kingston Leatherhead Victoria Walsall Wandsworth Wapping Warrington Watford Waverley Wembley West Kensington Westminster Weybridge Whitehall Willesden Wimbledon Windsor Wokingham Wood Street Worthing Central - 9 -