ISPs unconvinced of Consult21
29th October 2007
Broadband providers have expressed concern over Consult21 - the next generation of the broadband networks from BT.
According to a report from Samknows, a schism emerged over the network during September at a meeting of ISPs and BT.
Samknows claims to have seen minutes of the meeting showing that BSkyB, Tiscali, Orange and BT Retail all said they were dissatisfied with the plan to move from a two-step migration process to a one-step process.
The ISPs are reported as having said: "This does not feel right. You have been consulting for nearly three years, then suddenly within four weeks you change your plans without extensive consultation. We are not happy."
The process of local loop unbundling (LLU) was also a source of contention between ISPs as were pricing discrepancies between Band 1 and Band 2 exchanges, with Orange in particular saying that the Band 2 prices are "too high compared with LLU", according to the report.
Member of the Internet Services Providers' Association
Member of the Broadband Stakeholder Group