UK Oftel allows BT's rivals to combine broadband networks with BT's

Fergus

Seems to be a half-way house between wholesale i-stream and full-blown doing LLU/backhaul..

UK Oftel allows BT's rivals to combine broadband networks with BT's

LONDON (AFX) - Oftel, the UK telecom industry watchdog, has allowed telecom operators to combine their own broadband networks with BT Group PLC's following complaints from BT rivals Energis PLC and Thus PLC.

David Edmonds, Oftel director general, said: "Allowing operators to combine their own and BT's networks should give a significant boost to the provision of broadband services in the UK."

Oftel will require BT to provide two new interconnection services, using both ADSL and SDSL technology, which should increase the type of broadband access services offered in the market.

At the moment, operators that want to offer broadband DSL services either have to buy BT's wholesale broadband products at BT's prices or install their own DSL equipment in BT's local exchanges through local loop unbundling.

"I hope to see operators providing broadband services to end users using these arrangements by next summer," said Edmonds.

Oftel's announcement should make it easier for UK consumers to gain broadband access to the internet. Broadband makes it possible to send and receive high volumes of data and faster speeds than a conventional 56kb household modem.

tf/ak

NNN

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