Entanet Outlines UK ISP Migration Plan After O2 Wholesale Closure

Communications provider Entanet, which supplies a number of UK Internet providers with broadband services, has this week become the latest operator to publish plans for moving their existing O2/BE Wholesale based unbundled (LLU) lines away from that network and onto their BT-based platform.

The move follows O2’s recent confirmation that their wholesale division would be closed down at the end of February 2014 (here). The situation has understandably caused problems for a number of ISP that offered broadband and or phone services over O2’s network.

Some providers, such as Aquiss (here), have already detailed their strategy and others like XILO are similarly working to offer alternative solutions for their customers (e.g. lines based off the TalkTalk Wholesale or C&W/Vodafone platform etc.). Now, thanks to the BE Usergroup, we also have the details of Entanet’s approach to tackling O2’s fallout.

Entanets Newsletter

Existing Entanet O2 customers in contract
Entanet will honour the remainder of each customer’s existing minimum contract term at its current price beyond the O2 Wholesale switch-off date of 27th February 2014. Entanet will migrate customers onto its BT-based network ahead of 27th February 2014 and we will give you notice of when this process will start in a future partner update. You do not need to take any action for this to happen and no changes need to be made to your customers’ routers as the same username and password will be retained. More details will be provided when the migration notice is issued.

Existing customers out of contract
There are two choices where a customer is now out of contract. They can choose to do nothing and the service will simply be retained on O2’s network until it ceases on 28th of February 2014. Alternatively, we encourage you to migrate these customers to one of the packages listed above so that their services at the current price can be secured for a further 12 months. Entanet will issue a further partner update soon to confirm how you do so.

New LLU orders
Entanet continues to accept new orders onto the O2 network until 5pm 13th November 2013. These orders will be fulfilled until 27th February 2014 as the O2 network will cease to exist from 28th February 2014. You will also be given the opportunity in due time to move these circuits to one of the listed packages above to continue enjoying the services for longer at the current O2 price.

Entanet are also giving their partners the ability to migrate existing O2 line customers with other ISPs (i.e. non-Entanet lines) over to their BT-based platform by offering a £40 rebate of the activation charge on the first bill (free migration), albeit only if they sign-up under another 12 month contract (the offer also applies to those who want to take a new FTTC service). A series of special packages have also been issued that are designed to match the old O2-based, at least as closely as possible.