Ofcom praises BT for progress in unbundling

As the UK closes in on 250,000 lines from local-loop unbundling, an Ofcom board member has praised BT’s conduct and said its responsiveness has helped to create a more level playing field for other carriers.

Although the UK incumbent has been criticised in the past for dragging its heels, Ofcom board member Stephanie Liston said she applauded BT’s role in the Telecoms Strategic Review (TSR). “The TSR is quite an extraordinary achievement,” she said. “BT has taken a very pragmatic view to find the right sort of solutions.”

Liston revealed that Ofcom had seriously considered invoking legislation designed to counter monopolistic behaviour by splitting up the company. “The Enterprise Act was very much on the cards and it would have been legally binding but it would have been very time consuming,” she said. “If you can reach consensus between three sides [BT, other network providers and the regulator], it’s better. It’s now a healthy market and that’s reflected in the local loop unbundling, broadband connections, and merger and acquisition activity.”

Separately, Ofcom is close to opening its first auction of spectrum that is not intended for a specific application or technology.

This spring, the regulator will sell off the Dect Guard Band, previously used as a buffer zone to counter interference between GSM and Dect phones. Experts predict the spectrum will be used for cheap mobile phone calls.

A fuller version of the interview with Stephanie Liston is available here.