TalkTalk CEO Rubbishes BT’s “Weak” Broadband and Service Pledges

The CEO of UK ISP TalkTalk, Dido Harding, has today blasted BTOpenreach’s commitments (Customer Charter) to improve national broadband speeds, network coverage and customer service as being both “weak” and lacking in ambition.

Last month BTOpenreach set out a new Customer Charter (news summary), which among other things pledged to improve customer service (engineer performance etc.), ensure that “ultrafast” 300-500Mbps capable G.fast broadband services could reach 10 million premises by 2020 (with “most” of the UK to follow by 2025) and to make “fibre broadband” connectivity available to more than 95% of the UK. BT has also called for regulatory changes to help it deliver the promises (here).

Meanwhile TalkTalk has been making no secret of their disdain for BT’s continued focus on upgrading older copper line technology and their “weak” service commitments, with the ISP wanting to see Ofcom’s Strategic Review result in the complete separation of BT from control of their national UK telecoms network (example).

In keeping with this it will come as no surprise to find that Dido Harding, TalkTalk’s often outspoken boss, has now given a consumer orientated and less than welcoming response to Openreach’s recent Customer Charter.

Dido Harding said:

“We need to be much more ambitious than Openreach is suggesting. We should be investing in the very latest technology, delivering ultrafast fibre broadband straight into peoples’ homes, likeTalkTalk, Sky and others are already rolling out across the country. Instead, BT Openreach’s plans for new products – G.Fast and XG.Fast – still rely on the old copper network.

Their promises to improve customer service are also weak. For seven years now, Openreach has failed to meet the service targets in their contract with TalkTalk. This affects the service our customers receive, and damages our business in the process. But their charter only promises to meet Ofcom’s minimum service standards, far below what they have already committed to deliver for us. This situation can’t go on.

We want Openreach to be the best company they can be, and we want to work with them to transform the UK’s broadband network. Only when BT Openreach’s service gets better, can we make sure that all UK customers get the service they deserve.”

Harding, perhaps in an effort to simplify the debate and engage more directly with consumers, has also posted a bullet-point list of Openreach’s charter commitments versus what TalkTalk thinks of them.

The list, which can be VIEWED HERE, also sets out everything “we think Openreach could, and should, be doing to make sure the UK’s homes and businesses enjoy the world-class broadband they deserve” (e.g. rolling out pure fibre optic FTTH/P connectivity to homes).

The only thing lacking here is a more specific set of commitments from TalkTalk’s side and a design for how this could be achieved, otherwise it’s a bit too generalised and naturally you’d expect TalkTalk to seek changes that could benefit their own business. Otherwise it’s back to waiting on Ofcom’s decision.