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LONDON (Alliance News) - UK media and communications regulator Ofcom on Tuesday set out new rules designed to push BT Group PLC to improve its business lines performance.
Ofcom said the new rules, part of its Connectivity Market Review, will seek to improve BT's performance in installing high-speed lines for businesses and cut the wholesale prices BT charges for the lines.
The regulator said Openreach, BT's network infrastructure arm, is taking too long to install leased lines and is "not providing adequate certainty that the services will be provided by the date first given to the customer."
Ofcom also found Openreach is failing to complete one-in-four leased line installations on the initial date promised to customers.
As a result, Ofcom has proposed Openreach must complete 80% of leased-line orders on time by March 2017, with this requirement rising to 90% by April 2018.
In addition, Ofcom has confirmed plans to require BT to provide access to its optical fibre network to providers of high-speed leased lines for business, meaning BT will have to give competitors physical access to its fibre-optic cables.
Finally, Ofcom has confirmed plans to cut the wholesale prices BT charges for leased line services, which will be cut over a three-year period from May 1 this year.
By Sam Unsted; samunsted@alliancenews.com; @SamUAtAlliance
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