Containing almost all of BT’s field force of engineers, Openreach has been created to install, provide and maintain “the first mile” of connections, fibres and wiring which link millions of homes and businesses in Britain to their communications providers’ networks via local BT exchanges.
The move by BT to create Openreach was in response to Ofcom’s report on fair play in the market and the resultant new regulatory framework put in place and was begrudgingly set up in order to avoid the worst case scenario of BT being broken up. Resellers Comms Business Magazine has spoken to about Openreach remain unconvinced that they will get the so called equal access the company is meant to deliver. Time will tell.
Sounding full of the joys of Spring Steve Robertson, Openreach’s chief executive, commented: "The big day has arrived. The whole Openreach team is utterly committed to providing Britain’s communication providers with equivalent access to the local access network and to serving all our customers in the same even-handed way. This is an exciting time for the telecoms industry and Openreach has a vital role to play in making sure that Britain’s consumers and businesses have access to the most innovative and competitive communications market in the world. We’re ready to do our bit.”