BT's Openreach holds talks to lower wholesale rates - report

31st Oct 2022 10:08

(Sharecast News) - BT's infrastructure division Openreach is reportedly in talks to offer lower-cost deals to internet service providers that use its network across the UK.

Bloomberg on Monday cited two people familiar with the matter as saying that proposals include lower line rental costs, no volume commitments for sellers, and a cut to the amount charged for migrating customers from copper lines to fibre.

Companies such as Vodafone, TalkTalk Telecom and Comcast Corp's Sky are among those that sell services using London-based Openreach's fibre optic connections.

A spokesman for Openreach, who didn't dispute the details being reported, told Bloomberg: "We're in constant discussion with the retail providers about potential offers and options."

The new Openreach offer is dubbed Equinox 2 and was earlier reported by the Financial Times. The move could lower retail prices for fibre and accelerate consumers' take-up of the faster technology, upgrading them from older copper connections.