How Openreach plans to exit 103 priority exchanges by 2030

The Federation of Communication Services (FCS) represents companies which provide professional communications solutions to business users. Our members deliver telecommunications services via mobile and fixed line telephony networks, broadband, satellite, wi-fi and business radio. Our members’ customers range from SMEs, home-workers and micro-businesses up to the very largest private enterprises and public sector users. FCS is the largest trade organisation in the professional communications arena, representing the interests of circa 350 businesses which supply B2B services nationwide.

The FCS welcomes the chance to comment on Openreach’s plans to exit 103 priority exchanges by 2030.  The FCS believes that good industry engagement is key to successful delivery of the programme and is very willing to work with Openreach to ensure our members are clear on timescales and what they need to do.

The FCS has a number of points about the overall programme and would welcome the opportunity to discuss them further if that would be helpful.

1. Openreach FTTP, SoGEA and SoFAST products for business must be launched, ready for industrial volume use and reasonably automated to enable FCS members to efficiently and easily move their customers from legacy to IP based services. Uninhabitable (previously nonserved premises) product options must be in place for all of the newer business services.

Without robust product offerings available in a way resellers/small CPs can easily consume, it will be very difficult for those providers to transfer customers.  The FCS would welcome sight of product roadmaps at the CFPCG, showing when such business products will be available and for regular updates to be provided. FCS will also continue to invite Openreach leads to present to our members at our monthly meetings, furthering their understanding of the product options available to them.

2. Clear Openreach communications, covering their proposed schedules for each individual exchange, must be carefully planned for their direct reseller providers and with their indirect reseller providers (via wholesalers) for both residential and business services. This will be critical in enabling the smaller reseller providers to plan and mobilise their own exit plans, which will need to align with Openreach’s. Resellers will need to design their own customer base communications around the Openreach schedules and from the trial site experience to date, we have learned that this is not easy.

FCS is very happy to assist Openreach in any way we can and will align our member comms with Openreach’s, to emphasise key dates, the proposed four phases and key milestones, wherever we can.

3. FCS broadly supports the four phases approach but wishes to emphasise that effective change control and communications to the reseller channel, must be in place. FCS welcome any Openreach influence that can encourage wholesalers to communicate promptly, accurately and clearly with their resellers.

4. One of the key aspects of this programme is reduction in costs, both for Openreach and for industry. FCS is keen to understand details of any cost reduction that will be of benefit to our members, as this may encourage them to move their bases to IP service solutions earlier.

5. On inventory sharing by exchange, again FCS ask that resellers are carefully considered as there will be a need for resellers (who are not direct customers of Openreach) to gain this information from their wholesalers. This must be readily available and easily accessed.

6. Some of our reseller members are responsible for CNI and therefore FCS recommends close Openreach engagement with these members to ensure professionally managed exchange exits. If FCS can assist Openreach in communicating priority messages to these members, we are happy to do so.
7. The FCS notes that Openreach does not anticipate anything like the same level of complexity or cost to be associated with exiting exchanges post 2030 and this may be reflected in the commercial help package available to impacted CPs. FCS asks that this assumption be kept under review, especially as some of our reseller members may not be affected by the first tranche of the exchange closure programme.