Telephone and broadband customers could see lower prices as a result of changes to wholesale charges proposed by Ofcom today.
The proposals relate to prices that Openreach, BT's network access division, can charge other telecoms providers for some of its main wholesale services.
These prices have historically been regulated by Ofcom because BT has been found to have significant market power' in the delivery of these services. Last week Ofcom published the Fixed Access Market Reviews consultation, which found this still to be the case.1
As a result, Ofcom is proposing revised charge controls' on some Openreach products. These controls would reduce wholesale charges, which could be expected to lead to
real-terms price reductions for consumers, as communications providers pass on savings to their landline and broadband customers.
Competitive landline and broadband markets
Today's consultation covers wholesale charges for telephone and standard broadband services delivered to homes and businesses over BT's copper network in three ways:
A fully unbundled' line to a property. This allows telecoms providers to provide broadband and telephone services to their customers by installing their own equipment in Openreach's telephone exchanges. A fully unbundled line means the provider assumes full control of the line;
A shared unbundled' line to a property. Again, the telecoms provider uses its own equipment in the exchange and takes over a proportion of the line to provide broadband, while BT continues to provide the basic voice connection; and
Wholesale line rental (WLR), which is used by communications companies to offer voice telephone services to consumers using lines rented from Openreach.
These wholesale products underpin the competitive provision of standard broadband and landline services in the UK.
New prices for sustainable competition
The proposed new prices are designed to provide incentives to invest in networks while also ensuring that broadband and landline prices are affordable for consumers.
The prices would be set by charge controls linked to inflation (measured under the consumer price index, or CPI). This form of regulation provides an incentive for BT to make efficiency gains. Ofcom is consulting on the following charge controls on annual rental charges which would come into effect on 1 April 2014 and run until 31 March 2017:
Fully unbundled lines: the regulated wholesale price for this service today is £84.26 per year. Under Ofcom's proposals this will fall in real terms by between CPI 0% and CPI 6% every year;
Shared unbundled lines: the regulated wholesale price today is £9.75 per year. Under Ofcom's proposals this will fall in real terms by between CPI 8% and
CPI 12% every year;
Wholesale line rental: the regulated wholesale price today is £93.27 per year. Under Ofcom's proposals this will fall in real terms by between CPI 2% and CPI 8% every year.
These proposals are subject to further work by Ofcom on quality of service and fault levels on BT's copper network. Ofcom will consult further later in the year should that work suggest any need to modify these proposals.
Competition continues to grow
Ofcom has today also published a consultation on the Wholesale Broadband Access review, which considers competition in the market for wholesale broadband products that telecoms operators provide to themselves and sell to each other.
Since the last such review in 2010, competition has spread to more rural areas as communications providers have rolled out their own networks, based on unbundling BT's lines, to smaller telephone exchanges. Ofcom has found that the area of the UK with effective competition has grown in the last three years from 78% to 90%.
Ofcom is proposing no regulation in this competitive area, but to impose regulation including a charge control on BT's services in the less competitive remaining 10% of the UK.
Today's consultations on the Wholesale Broadband Access Review and Approach to Setting LLU and WLR Charge Controls both close on 25 September 2013. Ofcom aims to publish a statement on its final decisions in spring next year.
ENDS
NOTES FOR EDITORS
The FAMR also proposed measures relating the market for superfast fibre broadband. Today's charge control proposals relate to standard copper line' broadband and telephony.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
Telephone and broadband customers could see lower prices as a result of changes to wholesale charges proposed by Ofcom today.
