Please click below to go to the wholesale line rental consumer guide:

New 'Line and Calls' services - a consumer guide

Oftel’s 2001-2 review of the fixed telephony market concluded that BT has market power in the provision of both calls and access, and that one reason for this is BT’s ability to provide a bundled calls and access service, which provides BT with a significant competitive advantage over alternative providers.

In August 2002 Oftel modified BT’s licence to require it to provide a new ‘Wholesale Line Rental’ (WLR) product to other network operators and service providers on cost-based and non-discriminatory terms. This will allow alternative suppliers to rent access lines on wholesale terms from BT, and resell the access lines to the end-user, enabling the alternative supplier to provide a single bill that covers both line rental and telephone calls and should stimulate competition in the fixed telephony market.

BT introduced a basic WLR product (WLR1) at the beginning of September 2002. The functionality of the basic product is similar to that of the Calls and Access product, and WLR1 will need to be developed further if it is to be a ‘fit-for-purpose’ product in the mass market and operate efficiently at large volumes and seamlessly with other products such as carrier pre-selection.

Oftel published a consultation document on 14 November 2002, Wholesale Line Rental, a consultation document issued by the Director General of Telecommunications, in which it set out detailed proposals for WLR2. In the light of comments received to this consultation document, Oftel published a statement on 11 March 2003, Wholesale Line Rental: Oftel’s conclusions.

Following Oftel’s conclusions, and the transition to the implementation phase of the project, Oftel has restructured the WLR industry groups. There are now two WLR industry groups chaired by Oftel – the WLR Service Providers Forum and the WLR Implementation Working Group. Additionally, there is a combined WLR/CPS Consumer Issues Task Group.

The WLR Service Providers Forum is the primary means for industry stakeholders to be involved in the implementation programme, and is open to all service providers/operators. It meets approximately every six weeks, and the main function of this group is to provide provide visibility to industry of progress on the implementation programme. Contact Gavin Daykin for further information.

The WLR Implementation Working Group will be responsible for the further detailed work on product specification, process design and associated assessment criteria that is required as part of the implementation programme. This group will also be responsible for identifying and managing any inter-dependencies between the implementation programmes of BT and alternative providers. Contact Gavin Daykin for further information.

The CPS/WLR Consumer Issues Task Group comprises representatives from consumer groups and industry to consider the implications for consumers arising from CPS and WLR, and develop measures aimed at the prevention of deceptive and/or misleading sales and marketing practices. Contact Gavin Daykin or Alex Campbell for further information.

Developing WLR will require commitment and participation from all stakeholders. Oftel will play its full part in leading the groups and seeking to resolve issues that develop.

Wholesale Line Rental Groups:

Information and Minutes of Meetings

• Wholesale Line Rental Service Providers Forum

• Wholesale Line Rental Implementation Working Group

• CPS/WLR Consumer Issues Task Group
  

Wholesale Line Rental Documents:

• Industry End-to-End Process Description