BT's access-network division, Open-reach, has confirmed that it does not intend to offer any form of local-loop unbundling (LLU) of the fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) network it is building in Ebbsfleet, Kent. Although the new network will ultimately serve fewer than 10,000 homes, some alternative operators fear that the proposal gives a worrying indication of the level of access the UK incumbent will offer when it replaces its existing copper network with fibre. In a March 28 consultation, Open-reach proposed to offer only bitstream access, which on its copper network gives alternative operators less opportunity to set their services apart in terms of price or features compared with LLU. "It potentially looks like you're back to a more IPStream model, where there is little opportunity for communications providers to differentiate," says a spokeswoman for one UK unbundler, referring to one of BT's entry-level wholesale products.
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