Openreach Make FTTP Discounts Accessible for Small UK ISPs
Network provider Openreach (BT) has introduced a special “Equinox Waiver” for smaller broadband ISPs. The change means they will be entitled to Equinox connection and rental discounts on the operator’s Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband products, but without needing to meet the Fibre Only Target or Fibre Only Threshold.
Just to be clear, this relates to the FTTP discounts that Openreach introduced back in 2021 (here), and not the most recent Equinox 2 scheme that has yet to be approved by Ofcom. But Openreach has confirmed that today’s new measure would also apply to Equinox 2, if it’s approved.
For the purpose of this waiver, small ISPs are defined as providers that place “less than 100 legacy copper orders per Contract Quarter” within the defined Openreach FTTP footprint.
Openreach introduced its Equinox FTTP offer in October 2021. The offer includes a requirement for CPs to place a certain proportion of their Openreach orders on Openreach’s FTTP network in order to be eligible for rental and connection discounts. Openreach has reviewed the operation of these targets and has decided to waive the requirement to meet the Fibre Only Target and Fibre Only Threshold for CPs who place fewer than 100 orders per Contract Quarter on Openreach’s legacy copper network within the defined Openreach FTTP footprint. These CPs will benefit from the Equinox connection and rental discounts irrespective of the proportion of Openreach FTTP orders that they place.
All other terms of the Equinox offer will remain in place including, but not limited to, obligations relating to the use of specific Order Journeys and not going back to copper.
For the avoidance of doubt, should Ofcom confirm its provisional conclusion that it has no competition concerns at the end of its review of the proposed Equinox 2 overlay, this waiver shall continue to apply to CPs that sign up to the Equinox 2 overlay once launched.
How CPs can take advantage of this waiver
This waiver will apply automatically for those CPs that have signed up to the Equinox offer and that meet the criterion of not placing more than 100 copper orders per contract quarter within the defined Openreach FTTP footprint. The terms of the waiver will be sent to all CPs that have signed up to the Equinox offer and are available to view here.
End.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook and Linkedin.
« EE Offers Free UK Mobile Broadband Data for King’s Coronation UPDATE2
Latest UK ISP News
- FTTP (5538)
- BT (3518)
- Politics (2542)
- Openreach (2300)
- Business (2267)
- Building Digital UK (2247)
- FTTC (2045)
- Mobile Broadband (1978)
- Statistics (1790)
- 4G (1669)
- Virgin Media (1625)
- Ofcom Regulation (1467)
- Fibre Optic (1396)
- Wireless Internet (1392)
- FTTH (1382)
Greg Mersch will throw another hissy fit on this news.
Of course, Mr Mesch has some fat cats to feed and they take priority over the UK consumers, even if there’s a cost of living crisis!
its quite fully really cityfibre stance is like the multimillionaire complaining about a billionaire because there still only a multimillionaire and there being stopped from being a billionaire by another already billionaire
barking
Like climbing into the ring to take on Mike Tyson, shouting about what you’re going to do to him, then when you realise it’s more difficult than you first thought, start crying and ask Ofcom to tie one hand behind his back.
If you can’t take the heat… Get out of the kitchen.
Cityfibre is already cheaper than Equinox 2. The argument is about Openreach contract lock-in preventing competition, not price.
What’s happened to Cityfibre anyway?
Not long ago we used to hear announcements at least once a week that they were starting a build here and starting a build there, but they seem to have gone quiet.
Have things slowed up?
@John W they are too busy compiling a list of staff to make redundant.
Just wait for Cityfibre to start complaining!
How dare Openreach offer cheaper broadband for the UK public! It’s disgusting and must be stopped!
Look at the openreach fanboys here, no doubt worried about their shares
Youre a boy only interested in himself so just as bad as them.
Which I have plenty of… thanks
Those shares are never going to make you rich @Hammers
The same idiots stirring themselves up into a frenzy about Openreach not destroying competition by monopolising the fibre rollout are the same clowns who whined for a decade that they could only get poor quality monopolised copper access with no hope of upgrades.
What goes around comes around, OpenPreach!
you really must do something about that Chip you carry around — must be awfully difficult for you to ahve any perspective what so ever
@anonymous, if I was only interested in myself, then why would I recommend some people going to FTTP?
@Ex Telecom Engineer, I am not that bothered about getting FTTP myself, but Openreach had no interest around here until ZZoomm started building their network and then all of a sudden openreach was here. in my opinion, a fibre network should be built by a non-profit company and then providers pay to use it.
@Ad47uk you continually complain about pricing thats why you go for ‘Happy Shopper’ broadband, there is no possible way to satisfy you as you also complain if they want to bring the prices down. You are clearly stupid.
Ad47uk: “in my opinion, a fibre network should be built by a non-profit company and then providers pay to use it.”
Like Network Rail? Not an example I’d choose of excellence or efficiency. Are you suggesting state ownership? A regulated monopoly? Who appoints the directors of NotORnotforprofit Ltd? How are they held to account? How is this mythical beast incentivised to do the right thing, and indeed what is the right thing?
In this model, why even bother with competition amongst ISPs? 80% of the costs of a “pure” ISP are in its cost of sales, why bother with competition for the 20% they can control?
‘Not for Profit’ could be the catch phrase of many of the altnet rollouts.
@anonymous Like most people I like to pay as little as I can for services and products, we don’t all have money to chuck around and if I can save a bit I will. I don’t complain about them wanting to bring prices down, I complain when companies get an unfair advantage, and that is what Openreach have. Openreach are using their size and monopoly to knock out other companies. yes they still have a monopoly, maybe not as large as it was, but it is still there
I did not choose network rail, you did. Maybe state owned would be the best way to go. something have to be better than what is happening now.
@FibreBubble
I normally think Not for Profit is a bit iffy I must admit, but with all these networks digging up roads and laying down fibre, and then digging them up again for another provider to lay their fibre. I doubt very much if it will happen again where i live, I think Zzoomm and Openreach will be the only two fibre network providers we will have. but in some places they have 3 or 4 of them.
I don’t know what the answer is to be honest, and I don’t know why I fight against it all so much. Chatting to a freind yesterday and they were saying i should just go with the flow, get fibre installed and once it is done it is done unless i change from one network to another and that is one of the problems with FTTP.
If i say go with Zzoomm, I have a hole drilled in my wall, a splice box fitted on the outside of the wall, a ONT on the inside, but if I change to an Openreach network at some point I have to have it all done again.
Looking at prices of FTTC now, there is nothing much below the £24 mark, shell energy and onestream is cheaper by a couple of quid. Going for Zzoomm FTTP at their minimum speed of 150/150 works out at £27.45 a month, as the first three months is £19.95. so not a great more over the month.
I really don’t know what to do, in my mind I am fine with the speed I have got, or I was, but for some reason it is not as good as it used to be. Plusnet offers is not that good. They are offering me a 24 month contract on FTTc for £25.99, which is a pound more than what I was paying before the price rise. If I go for 12/18 month then it is £28.99
FTTP for 74Mb/s is £26.99, they seemed to have dropped the 36Mb/s speed for FTTP. but again 24 month contract.
If i am going to go through the hassle of having FTTP installed then I may as well go for something a bit faster and for the difference in price I may as well go for ZZoomm, the one advantage is the 12-month contract.
It feels like I am being pushed away from FTTC by providers rising prices and nudging me towards FTTP.
Seems to be norm these days, being nudged to do things I don’t really want to do. Maybe my friend is right and I should go with the flow.
I am going out for a coffee soon with some friends, get out into the sun, while it lasts 🙂
Wanting to pay the least possible price for your service whilst opposing wholesale price cuts is an interesting idea.
Good news for consumers.
All’s fair in love and war.
Consumers had their bills criminally increased by more than 30% over the past 2 years. They are not affected by this at all
Not when out of reach tries to get rid of other providers, they remind me of Sky.