Openreach – Page 14
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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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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 & InfraBT 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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Network & InfraDT lends experience as Openreach preps for all-IP surge
Openreach drawing on minority owner’s learnings as it corrals the UK’s CPs towards digital voice services. Migration closely linked to fibre rollout, but timing may be dependent on CP retail plans as market joins BT in favouring IP voice services.
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PremiumOpenreach NI fibre plan stirs up Project Stratum
Openreach Northern Ireland on track to exceed FY20–21 full-fibre target. Overlap emerges with Openreach plan and publicly funded project. NI leads UK with highest full-fibre availability.
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PremiumBT people moves: Chairman du Plessis steps down from post
Jan du Plessis relinquishes chairmanship after four years, Ian Cheshire emerges as potential successor. Former Chairman Michael Rake also seeks a change after stepping down from his Huawei UK posting. Sherman understudy Johanna Lim leaves for Amazon.
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Strategy & ChangeElsewhere in Openreach: ADTRAN switched on
ADTRAN kit up and running; Ofcom Connected Nations report shows full-fibre progress; Gigabit Vouchers start showing worth.
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Public AffairsOpenreach strike action goes ahead
Strike underway in row over engineer pay grade restructuring. Industrial action described as a ‘wake-up call’ for the whole of BT amidst wider unrest.
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InterviewOpenreach pushes ahead in journey to agile
CTIO Colin Lees discusses three-year transformation project across IT, network, and processes to support FTTP rollout. Independent Openreach Technology division treads in parent’s tech footsteps. Adopts agile development where it can and organises into Tribes and Squads. Data strategy seeks “single source of truth”. Takes pragmatic approach to cloud ...