Openreach Launch Special Offer for FTTC Managed Engineer Installs UPDATE

Openreach (BT) appears to be running a 6 month special offer for UK ISPs using Managed Engineer Installs for their Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC / VDSL2) broadband service, which will start on 10th September 2019 and run until 10th March 2020.

Most consumers tend to take FTTC as a self-installation (PCP Only) service and so generally don’t require an engineer installation in their home, although the option has always been there; even if most ISPs tend not to offer it as their standard approach (it normally costs £99 ex. VAT for a Managed Engineer Install with an ISP router vs £45.92 for PCP Only).

Apparently ISPs can use this new offer on both standalone VDSL Managed Install journeys, as well when Managed Install is used in addition to a new Metallic Path Facility (MPF) or Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) line provide (i.e. broadband and phone bundle).

Openreach Statement

Customers can benefit from two sets of discounts for both existing and new volumes of Managed Install. To establish the level of existing volumes for each customer we will use the average of the last three months of VDSL Managed Install completed orders for that customer, this is orders for May, June and July 2019.

Discounted prices on existing volumes (aka baseline volumes):

— £94 for Managed Engineer Install with CP Device
— £90 for Managed Engineer Install with CP Device when used with MPF/WLR Connection – New Provide Standard

We have also secured 6,000 additional visits per month of VDSL Managed Install, which we will distribute equally among registered customers. Each participating customer will have a quota of incremental visits it can use above the baseline of existing volumes. Once we establish the number of participating customers, we will contact each CP to share the quantities of additional visits as well as the baseline derived from the average of last the three months for transparency.

Discounted prices on incremental volumes:

— £80 for Managed Engineer Install with CP Device
— £70 for Managed Engineer Install with CP Device when used with MPF/WLR Connection – New Provide Standard

Further details can be found in this briefing document and we’ve also asked Openreach what the rationale is behind the new promotion, particularly as the market is slowly moving on to newer technologies. We may update again later. As usual it’s a decision for ISPs as to whether or not they pass along any savings made on the wholesale side.

UPDATE 14th August 2019

In terms of rationale, Openreach indicated to us that there is more appetite from ISPs now to visit the home to resolve any potential customer issues, such as wiring problems, and to give customers the best possible experience from the outset (maximise speed and stability). So the offer allows providers to gain more insight and understand the wider benefits of managed install for their customers.