Ref: 09/03
Date: 11 March 2003

Progress to give consumers and businesses greater choice over who provides their telephone service has been set out today by Oftel.

Oftel has published a detailed specification for the new wholesale service that BT must provide to service providers that covers both line rental and calls.

The new product will allow service providers to offer a complete telecoms service to residential and businesses customers over BT’s network, without any need to receive a bill from BT.

Oftel’s specification will ensure that BT provides the new product to the service provider in an efficient manner that allows service providers to compete fairly with BT.

There will be strong consumer safeguards so that customers are not switched to alternative suppliers without their knowledge.

The new product is likely to be available to consumers towards the end of the year.

David Edmonds, Director General of Telecommunications said today:

"Just over four million households have used alternative service providers, and this new service should encourage even more people to shop around for a new telecoms supplier.

"Under Oftel’s arrangements, service providers will be able to offer a complete telephone service covering calls and line rental, completely separate from BT.

"The final specification sets the requirements BT must meet, so that service providers have an opportunity to compete fairly with BT.

"Both the old and new service provider must writer to the customer to confirm arrangements to make sure they are not switched to a different supplier without their knowledge.

"As an additional safeguard, there will be a ten day cooling off period in case people want to change their minds and stop the process."

Notes to editors

Wholesale Line Rental - Oftel's conclusions is published on Oftel's website at www.oftel.gov.uk/publications/whole_line/2003/wlr_1_0303.htm Hard copies are available to the media from Oftel's Press Office on 020 7634 8991 and to the public from Oftel's Research and Information Unit on 020 7634 8761.