All Openreach articles – Page 22
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PremiumBT people moves: new Director of Healthcare to lead NHS drive
Sultan Mahmud brought in to lead on NHS partnership and estate digitalisation, drawing on experience as innovation guru in NHS Trusts. Strategy & Transformation team appointments at Consumer. Ex-Vodafone exec appointed Group Treasury Director.
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InterviewOpenreach Tech team powers UK fibre build
CTIO Colin Lees shares impact of tech overhaul on network build. More effort on provisioning and repair in three-year transformation project. Openreach owns IT and Network strategy decisions; BT Digital and BT Networks are key suppliers. Three-supplier strategy for FTTP advances with Adtran, Huawei and Nokia.
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PremiumDestination: new BT; ETA 2026
Jansen again evangelising glorious digital future: five-year timescale reiterated, with promises of peak fibre investment passing and financial nirvana arriving. Stability predicted for FY21–22. Investors more interested in gruel on today’s menu rather than jam promised tomorrow. The court of public opinion may ultimately rule on five-year tax dodge. ...
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Network & InfrastructureOpenreach offers a hand in all-IP migration
InfraCo launches Call Waiting List as part of analogue shutdown educational campaign. Customers encouraged to sign up for guidance and advice on digital migration, in bid to hang up analogue lines by the end of 2025.
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PremiumElsewhere in BT Group: Better Workplace updates
4-3-3 update; Belfast office set for refurbishment; and Ofcom chair position remains open.
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PeopleOpenreach’s Milligan on importance of rural fibre
Openreach executive sees fibre deployment as key to reversing rural to urban migration. Building broadband is not enough: more education is required to ensure higher take-up. Need to ‘join the dots’ to ensure infrastructure and economic programmes are properly implemented.
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PremiumSTL picked as Openreach fibre cable partner
STL cables expected to help simplify fibre deployment, while making the most of existing infrastructure. Environmental benefits of vendor solution referenced as focus on green network maintained.
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PremiumBT “disappointed” as government tweaks voucher scheme
Government kicks off first phase of £1.2bn Project Gigabit. £210m for rural voucher scheme, but fewer communities are eligible; £110m for connecting rural doctors’ surgeries, libraries, and schools. DCMS Delivery Plan suggests considerable uncertainty on most effective way to target government spending.
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Strategy & ChangeElsewhere in Openreach: R100 gets prepped in Highlands & Islands
Openreach readies for Scottish R100 subsea surveys; wholesale price increases take effect.
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Strategy & ChangeSelley “driving two trains” as fibre provisioning speeds up
Increasing Openreach resources are being funnelled towards ensuring customers are connected to full fibre — and revenue keeps coming in — while the rollout builds momentum. No firm date set to reach 20 million homes target, but annual goals to be flagged. As competition builds among fibre altnets, Openreach ...
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Strategy & ChangeNetworks joins Digital division to replace BT Technology
BT Technology was shuttered and replaced by two new divisions: BT Digital and BT Networks. Harmeen Mehta and Howard Watson at the respective helms as BT seeks transformation and modernisation. Fotis Karonis replacement named at BT Enterprise.
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Suppliers & SCMOpenreach taps Viavi for (another) FTTP leg-up
Long-time relationship expanded, with Openreach exploring all avenues in effort to improve efficiencies.
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Strategy & ChangeElsewhere in Openreach: Superfast Cymru targets missed
Outage in Bridgeton; progress update on Superfast Cymru Phase 2; Openreach partner on brink; 4.5 million fibred up.
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PremiumElsewhere in BT Enterprise: small-cell deployments flagged
Infobip partnered for RCS enterprise marketing; BT among the backers for Microsoft Teams product launch.
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Strategy & Change
Openreach cites No 10 lack of clarity as key early COVID test
Initial uncertain status of Openreach workforce deemed biggest challenge when ensuring UK connectivity and worker safety through lockdown. Strong chains of command, coupled with responsiveness to staff concerns, said to frame management response. Fears on return to offices and on-premises work may prove the biggest challenge.
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Public AffairsOfcom gives BT fibre pricing freedom, but adds burdens
Openreach not to face caps or controls on national ultrafast pricing until 2031, as long as it is “fair and reasonable”. Locally-targeted pricing from Openreach prohibited as Ofcom seeks to protect emerging altnets. BT Consumer may lose some edge from 90 day notice period for new propositions from Openreach. ...
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Network & InfrastructureBT explores optical options after Moore, Shannon
Lord keen to leverage lower-cost data centre technologies for network deployment. Floats idea of ripping out ROADMs in core network and replacing them with routers and ZR optics pluggables. Lower prices through photonic integration seen as key. Promising trials with hollow-core and multi-core fibre.
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Public AffairsThreat of BT national strike intensifies
CWU calls on BT member base to back strike action, with further details on proposed ballot in “coming weeks”. Group transformation continues to exacerbate already disaffected BT-union relations. Mass walkouts from ‘late-spring’ a possibility. Union and BT share very different relationship perspectives.
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Public AffairsBT braces as Ofcom fibre ruling looms
Ofcom to set out its fibre vision this week, and while BT may get pricing freedom, it may not get the longer-term clarity it craves. Regulator’s steps to open up infrastructure competition may also disrupt the incumbent’s plans.
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PeopleBT denies right royal dust-up at the top
Group moved to issue a denial of Jansen ultimatum as speculation swirls on du Plessis’ surprise departure decision. Two camps emerging, with some discontent at Jansen power moves, but CEO’s position appears safe for now. Beyond rumours and gossip, BT board looks starved of experience needed for Group transformation ...