BT Openreach Moot Limited ISP Price Discount for UK FTTC and FTTP Installs

BTOpenreach has confirmed that they’re considering the launch of a new special offer that would cut the price of existing superfast broadband (FTTC and FTTP) installations for ISPs and their end-users, albeit only at specific BT telephone exchanges.

Openreach said that it was “keen to incentivise the take-up of Fibre Broadband services” and as a result they’re currently evaluating whether or not to launch a “fixed term connection price special offer” on the installation of related broadband services. But first they need feedback from ISPs to assess the “likely interest and engagement” of such a promotion.

Openreachs Statement

Communications Providers that currently buy GEA-FTTC or GEA-FTTP from Openreach, and expect to use this offer to drive incremental volume, should contact their Sales & Relationship Manager (via the usual channels) to express interest in any offer. We are looking to complete our review quickly and so request all enquiries regarding the offer are made by Friday 13th September 2013.

The offer, if it ever goes ahead, would apply to both Openreach’s Basic and Managed Installations. A Basic Install is where the engineer visits the local street cabinet and then the end-user’s premises to install and test the Openreach modem (VDSL on FTTC). By comparison a Managed Install is broadly similar to the above except without the Openreach modem (i.e. the engineer would plug directly into the ISPs own modem/router).

Currently most FTTC installs are of the ‘Basic’ variety as the non-Openreach modem path is fairly new and the future FTTC self-installation (wires-only) solution is still in the trial phase for at least another two months. Over the years Openreach has used various FTTC/P installation discounts, including a variety of free and reduced price style promotions. At present the standard FTTC connection fee is set at £92 +vat.