The Director General may determine carrier pre-selection (‘CPS’) charges required to recover the costs of Carrier Pre-selection Standard Services under Conditions 50A.4 of BT’s Licence. Where he does so, the long consultation procedure set out in paragraph 6 of Part 1 of Schedule 1 of BT’s Licence must be adhered to (see Condition 50A.10 of BT's Licence).

On 13 May 2002, Oftel published a Notice of Proposed Determination in relation to charges for CPS Standard Services (‘Notice’) (see www.oftel.gov.uk/publications/carrier/2002/cps0502.htm).

The purpose of the Notice was to inform all interested parties including BT and carrier pre-selection operators (‘CPSOs’) that the Director General intends to review the charges set for CPS Standard Services in Oftel’s CPS Determinations of 8 January 2001 and 26 November 2001, and to prepare a draft decision on these charges in the light of this review and the outcome of a consultation.

The timescale for this consultation was set out in the explanatory memorandum attached to the Notice.

After the publication of the Notice on 13 May, there was a 28 day period closing on 10 June during which all interested parties were able to make representations.

During this period, Oftel received three representations, no parts of which were indicated to Oftel to be confidential. The representations were from (in alphabetical order) BT, Centrica and Worldcom.

These representations are publicly available on Oftel’s website at www.oftel.gov.uk/publications/responses/2002/cps0502/index.htm. Alternatively, they are available from Oftel's Research and Intelligence Unit, and an appointment can be made to view these responses by contacting Oftel's Research and Intelligence Unit on 020 7634 8761 between 09.30-12.00 and 14.00-16.00.

A second 28 day period will commence on 21 June 2002 to allow interested parties to make observations on the published representations. After the end of the second 28 day period on 19 July 2002, having considered all representations and observations, the Director General will, if appropriate, publish a draft Determination, setting out the proposed charges. All interested parties will have a further 14 day period to comment on that Draft Determination. The Director General will consider all comments and inform BT, CPSOs and other interested parties of his final determination at the expiry of that period.

Comments are, therefore, invited on the published representations by the end of the day on 19 July 2002. Comments will be publicly available from Oftel’s Research and Intelligence Unit and Oftel’s web site, except where clearly indicated to be confidential. Respondents are therefore asked to separate out any confidential material in a clearly marked annex. In the interests of transparency, respondents are requested to avoid confidentiality markings wherever possible. Comments should be addressed to:

Caroline Wallace
Chief Engineering Advisor
Oftel
50 Ludgate Hill
London
EC4M 7JJ

tel: 020 7634 8917
fax: 020 7634 8893
e-mail: caroline.wallace@oftel.gov.uk