FCS UPDATE
www.comms-dealer.com
Prepare for a new world
The roll out of next generation voice and
data products offers both opportunities and
threats for resellers in a new fibre world.
Jacqui Brookes, CEO of FCS, highlights some
of the issues resellers need to grasp in order
to maintain their position in the market.
or additional costs to the free
F
CS recognises that a by communications providers,
movement of customers.
strong reseller community other organisations are also
has been fundamental to likely to use this infrastructure to
•
Implementation of duct and
pole sharing does not lead to
the growth of effective implement new services. Energy
a fragmentation of the network
competition in telecoms and companies are looking at smart
which might also hamper the
will continue to be essential to metering and the NHS has also
Jacqui Brookes
easy movement of customers.
maintaining healthy competition in carried out successful regional
the sector into the future. WLR has trials for remote medical care In the telephony market we are FCS is at the leading edge
been a part of this success story based on this type of technology. concerned to ensure that the of discussion on each of
and continues to thrive despite the Ownership and control of the voice of the reseller is properly these issues and will be:
advance of LLU. WLR is particularly pipe is therefore a major issue. heard in the ongoing debate
important in the business space. on all of the above, and that
•
Actively engaging with the
various industry working groups and
Recent market statistics published Things are moving very fast and opportunities for resellers are
fora which are currently specifying
by Openreach and Ofcom show Openreach is committed to an maintained in a world where
service characteristics, delivery
that there are over six million WLR aggressive policy for roll out of fibre and duct sharing are a
models and migration scenarios
lines in place, almost the same fibre which will see Super-fast reality. Specifically, we will be
for fibre products and the ‘mixed
as the more highly feted LLU. Of Fibre Access (in both its Fibre focusing on ensuring that:
economy’ of copper and fibre
these, almost half are business to the Cabinet and Fibre to the
to make sure that an open and
lines and this represents the vast Premise variants) available to 10
•
There is an appropriate
range of broadband services
level playing field is delivered.
majority of the non-BT share of million homes and businesses by
available from a range of
business connections, and now March 2012. However, resellers
•
Lobbying government and the
suppliers offering products which
regulator to ensure that the value
amounts to almost half of the who are regionally based may
are suitable for both business
of resellers in communications
UK business market. This strong find themselves competing with
and residential end-users.
and their underpinning of the SME
growth has been largely driven fibre products much sooner
sector is recognised, and that
by the innovation, flexibility and than they think if their local
•
New fibre-based voice products
the needs of resellers are fully
high levels of customer care which exchanges are fibre enabled at
such as VoNGA are designed,
delivered and consumed using
recognised in the rollout of fibre.
resellers are able to deliver. an early stage in the rollout.
the well proven WLR model. FCS
•
Getting the message about the
members wish to purchase the
The roll out of fibre and the new Duct and pole sharing has also
value of the competitive telecoms
service direct from Openreach sector out to the wider media.
products for both voice and been in the headlines recently
using the existing EMP interface.
data which this higher bandwidth following the announcement by CPs are urged to get involved
will enable offer the greatest BT that they are willing to provide
•
Ownership of the ‘pipe’ down
as a matter of urgency to
opportunities for a generation access to their ducts, in line with
which the services will run remains
ensure that they understand
for all CPs including resellers. new European requirements
with Openreach and that any
how these developments will
However, there will also be major and expressions of interest by
single service provider is not
affect their businesses both
threats if the new technology companies including Sky and,
able to switch off or control
nationally and locally, and set
is delivered in ways which are specifically, Talk Talk who says
changes to individual services.
in place plans for the future.
not reseller friendly. In our view, that it is considering the option of •
The new migration scenarios
the only sustainable model for laying its own fibre in these ducts.
which will be implemented
FCS welcomes support for its
the new fibre-based local loop
to enable customers to
campaign to ensure that the
is based on a ‘multi service This sounds like a good proposition
move from copper to fibre
interests of resellers are adequately
pipe’ which will allow a range for the consumer but whereas
(and back if necessary) do
recognised and protected. If the
of services delivered by multiple such a development may lead
not present obstacles to
next generation of products is
providers to co-exist on the line. to increased choice in some
easy switching supplier.
not delivered in a way which is
areas, there may be some
•
That options for consumption
friendly to resellers and provides
In addition to established products fragmentation of the network in
such as the ‘CP controlled ATA’
a level playing field, companies
such as voice, broadband, the local loop without significantly
which is being demanded by
at the heart of the competitive
television and video on demand, extending the reach of the
the Altnets and LLU operators
market may be sidelined or lose
which are already being delivered new fibre based products.
do not introduce any obstacles
business to the bigger operators.
n
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30 COMMS DEALER MARCH 2010 www.comms-dealer.com
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