Proposed amendments to section 7 (equipment location) of the Enterprise Act Undertakings given by BT to Ofcom

On 22 September 2005, Ofcom accepted BT’s undertakings pursuant to section 154 of the Enterprise Act 2002 (“the Undertakings”). Section 7 of the Undertakings requires BT to provide other Communications Providers with a facility for them to locate their equipment in a BT exchange, where there is sufficient space and power available.

Ofcom is consulting on the following non-material amendments to section 7 of the Undertakings:

• removing references to the Communications Providers Property Users Group (“CPPUG”) and replacing them with references to ‘Communications Providers’ where relevant;
• allowing BT to require comments on its Estimated Space Availability Details (“ESADs”) to be submitted in a standard format;
• allowing BT to require Communications Providers to sign a suitable confidentiality agreement before it provides its ESADs;
• allowing BT to amend the list of exchanges BT intends to vacate (“vacation list”) from time to time as appropriate; and
• requiring the vacation list to be provided to Communications Providers as well as Ofcom.