Ofcom are altering the very grandly named, “Universal Service Condition 1,” to let BT provide discounted connections to people on their Ebbsfleet Fibre optic trial, which plans to provide network connections of up to 100Mbps.
You would have thought that discounting fixed line connections would have been a pretty simple thing that doesn’t does require Ofcom to get involved, but to protect the UK telecoms consumer, it isn’t. Only Kingston Communications of Kingston upon Hull have the ability to set their own line rental rate, for historic reasons. The rest of the UK is fixed under the Universal Service Conditions.
Once the alteration is granted, the upshot of it is that BT will be able to “offer pilot customers discounts on connection and line rental charges for fixed telephony services which may include offering connection and rental without charge,” providing a significant ‘carrot’ for those signing up for the trail.
Read the full details from Ofcom.
(read background on BT’s 21CN in Cardiff)
Ebbsfleet United FC Link?
While researching this story, it struck us how strategic the recent purchase of Ebbsfleet United FC by the Web site MyFootballClub, might have been.
Previously know as Gravesend & Northfleet, the football club is the first football team that lets the subscribers to the site control the management of the club – a brilliant idea.
With the BT Fibre trail running trial, what better opportunity for BT to sponsor the football club?