OPERATOR POLICY FORUM:

7 September 2000

Contents:

1. Agenda for the meeting.

2. Minutes of the meeting.

3. Action Points from the meeting.

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1.    Agenda

Item    -    Presented by:  (Oftel unless otherwise stated)

1. Introduction and Action Points - Chris Kenny

2. Communications White Paper - Neil Buckley

3. Leased Lines - Heather Clayton

4. Unmetered Internet Calls and CPS - Karen Hardy (Energis)

5. INCA Call Records:  Collection of CLI - Janet Lockwood (BT)

6. Self and Co-Regulation - Geoff Delamere

7. Universal Service - Alan Pridmore

8. Focus Group updates:

• Option 2 Implementation Working Group - Lisbeth Kristoffersen (MCI Worldcom)
• NTS - Paul Lonsdale
• Non-Geographic Number Portability - Kieran MacDermott (Vodafone)
• Geographic Portability - Owen Watson (Torch)
• Mobile Number Portability - Phil Rowden (Vodafone)
• Personal Number Portability - Jacqui Simpson (Redstone)
• CPS - Karen Hardy (Energis)
• ICPS - John Naughten (Viatel)

9. Forthcoming and Recent Oftel Publications - Chris Kenny

10. AOB

2.    Minutes

Agenda Item 1

Chris Kenny introduced Paul Lonsdale as the new OPF Secretary.

Agenda Item 2 - Communications White Paper

Neil Buckley explained that the joint DTI/DCMS Communications White Paper intends to cover both broadcasting and telecommunications. The White Paper will reform the current legislation under the Telecommunications Act 1984 and existing EC Directives, the Broadcasting Acts 1990 and 1996 the Wireless Telegraphy Acts 1949 and 1998. Click here to view Neil's slides.

The joint DCMS/DTI Communications Reform Team invited stakeholders to submit their comments about what the White Paper should contain and the responses are posted on the Communications White Paper web site.

Oftel has submitted a response to the Draft White Paper and the key proposals are:

• A single economic regulatory framework across the electronic communications sector;
• A regulatory authority whose objective is the best deal for the consumer;
• Rules to protect consumers and to safeguard universal access to key services including public service broadcasting.
• Clear arrangements for consumer input into policy-making, and an ombudsman to deal with individual consumer disputes.

He added that there will be further consultation on detail of the White Paper but it acts as a clear indication of future regulation.

The Communications White Paper will be published in late autumn.

Agenda Item 3 - Leased Lines

Heather Clayton explained that in November 1999, Oftel announced it was launching a review of the state of competition in the market for national leased lines. The review for national leased lines was prompted by concerns from users and other operators that prices were too high. It was also the first of Oftel’s market reviews as set out in its Strategy statement published in January 2000.  Click here to view Heather's slides.

The review identified two markets necessary to understand the relevant wholesale markets as well as retail markets in order to capture fully the dynamics of competition relating to leased lines. These are the markets for ‘terminating segments’ and for ‘trunk segments’ (In the Commission’s recent recommendation on Leased Lines interconnect pricing, the

Commission refers to terminating segments as "part leased lines").

The market review consisted of benchmarking (are customers getting the best deal), market analysis and it set out policy options.

The consultation document sets out the policy options matched to Oftel's Effective Competition Review and Strategy. These are possible options to remedy the lack of effective competition in wholesale markets thereby promoting competition in retail leased lines and it also considers the option of imposing retail price controls on BT’s retail prices of leased lines

The Consultation document was published on 22 August 2000 and the Consultation period runs to 27 October 2000. After that there will be two weeks to comment on comments. The Consultation team are Tim Cross, Priya Sinha, Hearther Clayton and David Black. Contact details can be obtained from the Consultation document.

Agenda Item 4- Unmetered Internet calls and CPS

Karen Hardy (Energis) explained about Oftel's proposal to remove unmetered Internet traffic from the 'all calls' option of the Carrier Pre Selection Functional Specification. The proposal enables OLO's to be able to groom SurfTime and FRIACO calls at the DLE, rather than allowing it to travel up to the transit (DMSU) layer. This reduces the cost of transmission and reduces potential capacity problems at the transit.

Oftel's possible solution was that certain types of calls (Type B and C) override CPS and are excluded from CPS respectively. FRIACO is similar to Type B short codes and as such should be allowed to override CPS. SurfTime is an operator specific code similar to Type C and as such should be excluded from CPS. An alternative possible solution suggested was to use the 1280 override code

Karen Hardy raised the wider concern of the interaction this has with 08 number range Indirect Access calls. Peter Walker added that although he did not consider the matter to be the thin end of the wedge, it is a special problem on which views from operators should be sought.

Agenda Item 5 - INCA and CLI for NTS

Janet Lockwood (BT) gave an up date on the current and planned positions further to discussions with Oftel and the industry about the planned change in the way that charges for NTS calls are calculated, BT's interconnect customers were invited to participate in a trial/dual run, if they so wish, from 1st November 2000.   Click here to view Janet's slides.

Agenda Item 6 - Self and Co-regulation

Geoff Delamere (Oftel) reminded the meeting that the consultation period for encouraging self and co regulation ends on the 18 September. He also explained the types of responses Oftel required and what to consider in self and co-regulation. There should be consideration by industry on how it articulates its views and that perhaps industry fora should be used to co-ordinate views. He said it was also an appropriate time to go beyond benefits and non benefits of self and co-regulation and move to the question of how to better make self and co-regulation work in practice.

Agenda item 7 - Universal Service

Chris Kenny (Oftel) explained that on 7 September 2000 Oftel published the consultation document - review of universal telecommunication service. This document sets out Oftel’s conclusions following its 1999 review of the Universal Service Obligation (USO). Comments are now invited on Oftel’s proposals on the operation of the existing obligation, its costs and its scope. In the light of these comments, Oftel proposes to issue a statement in spring 2001 that will set out the level for universal service from September 2001.  Click here to view Chris' slides.

Agenda Item 8 - Focus Group Updates

Option 2 Implementation Working Group

Trevor Wood (Oftel) reported that the contract would be posted on the web site on 12 September and that a solution to ensure this date had been agreed at a Group meeting on 6 September. He also reported that a compromise on allocation method had been met.

NTS

Paul Lonsdale (Oftel) reported that the NTS Group had not met since the last OPF as the meeting scheduled for 25 August had to be postponed. NTS will re-convene in 2 to 3 weeks.

Non-Geographic Number Portability

The last NGNP Focus Group meetings were on 26 July and 5 September 2000.

1. Resellers

Rob Borthwick had written to Oftel on behalf of the forum reiterating the difficulties arising from Oftel’s proposals (in its letter dated 3 Jul 00). The NGN forum has rejected Oftel’s suggestions that licensed operators should be policing the regulatory obligations of resellers / systemless service providers (SSPs) by its own civil litigation. The only workable solution is for the regulator to enforce the porting regulations.

2. Proposed Oftel letter to SSP’s

The forum welcomed Oftel’s draft letter to SSP’s as a positive move to inform the SSP’s of their obligations under the Directive. The draft letter is being fine tuned by the group and will be returned to Oftel shortly.

3. End to End Process manual / Process Group

The Process rewrite is unfortunately not yet complete, but is very near. The Process has been simplified and adopted the use of email rather than fax orders for porting requests. The NGN group will be seeking advice on email from the Automation Group in due course, although it should be noted that email is already the successful (and only) medium for Personal Number Porting.

4. Porting charges & Timed / Dated Porting

The Process determines 0000 to 0400 as the "normal" porting time at least cost. There is a significant number of operators where this window is not least cost, or indeed possible. It was established that any change of pricing by individual operators to reflect this would use the OCCN (Operator Charge Change Notice) Procedure for changes in tariff with BT, or by individual negotiation between other operators.

5. Enhanced BT Transit Product

There is a long standing action to define and cost an enhanced NGN transit product which will differentiate ported traffic (over BT transit) by charge band and donor/recipient. It is anticipated that a product details will be available at the next NGN meeting

6. Pre Allocation Porting (PAP)

The PAP sub group has identified that Phase 2 porting is a general porting issue and not specific to PAP. The NGN group will be seeking advice from the NT Technical Task Group in due course.

7. NGNP and GNP amalgamation

The NGNP and GNP groups have decided to amalgamate as a result of the common membership and subject matter. It is anticipated that the PNP group will also amalgamate with NGNP/GNP in due course.

The next NGNP commercial forum will be held on Tuesday 10 October 2000 (provisionally at ntl: , Nottingham).

The next NGNP process forum will be held on 4 or 5 October 2000 at Vodafone, Newbury.

Geographic Number Portability

1. Final sign-off of the new E2E manual is expected by the end of September. Notification will be sent out once this is completed.
   
2. The Automation forum has commenced work on the automation of order handling for Multi-line orders. A draft specification has already been produced.
   
3. A working group composed of members of the GNP and LLU groups has looked into the process for porting a number at the same time as taking ownership of the copper pair from BT. The GNP OPF Focus Group has agreed to the process in principle and will be passing it to the LLU group for incorporation into their procedures. As the process is not GNP per se, the recommendation is that an alternative name is found for the transfer of numbering in LLU, to avoid confusion on an operational level. The intention is that the process working group continues to meet to ensure that the process remains relevant to the developing LLU processes.
   
4. A request has been sent to the PNOIG to investigate the options around Call Drop Back between networks.
   
5. The GNP – OPF FG is still awaiting the revised Functional Spec for Number Portability, as well as the Numbering Conventions. It is not expected that there will be extensive work arising out of these documents, but the group is mindful of the need to ensure that the processes match the regulatory requirement.
   
6. Due to synergy of both issues and personnel, the GNP OPF FG has proposed that it now be wound up and the remaining workstack be transferred to the NGNP OPF FG. At this stage, the Process Groups will remain distinct. The NGNP group has agreed to the proposal, but ratification is required by the OPF in order to formally wind the group up. Thanks are due to all those companies and individuals who have contributed to the work of the group over the four years or so of its’ existence.

Mobile Number Portability

Andrew Gorton (Vodafone) reported that implementation of the new mobile number porting process may now have to be postponed until March next year. This is as a result of contractual problems with the preferred contractor.

In the interim there will be a meeting in October to review the charges made by Independent Service providers for porting out mobile numbers.

Personal Number Portability

Jacqui Simpson (Redstone) reported that the PNP Focus Group had not met since the last OPF. The next meeting is due on 4 October.

Carrier Pre-Selection

Karen Hardy (Energis) reported that the launch date of December 2000 for Phase 1 was still obtainable but due to technical problems with the trials this date may have to be reviewed.

Other CPS issues reported on were:

• Oftel was still looking at BT's charges for CPS and was poised to determine prices if necessary. Charging for CPS would be transaction based charging.

• Version 4.3 of Carrier Pre Selection End to End Process Manual has been issued

• Operators having completed the pre-requisite stage in February 2000 and who still wished to launch CPS in December 2000 need to sign up now in order to ensure that databuilds could be completed and tested in time.

• Contract (forecasting process for transactions) is on the web site in draft. Comments are required.

ICPS

John Naughton reported that:

• Legal proceedings on the BT appeal against the Oftel determination of ICPS costs had finished and Oftel is due to issue a new draft ICPS determination

• Charges proposed by BT for the File Transfer System were being discussed by ICPS Focus Group.

• No ICPS trials are taking place until the issue of FTP costing has been resolved.

Agenda Item 9 - Publications

Chris Kenny announced that the following would be published before the next OPF:

• Calls and Access (statement)
• Price Control Review (consultation document)
• Premium Rate Services (statement)
• Directory Enquiries Access Codes (statement)
• Developing Numbering Administration (consultation document)
• Calls to Mobiles (statement)

Agenda Item 10 - AOB

3.   Action Points