The proposed European regulation would require BT and equivalent
operators in other countries to open up their local phone exchanges
to competing operators by 1st January 2001, six months earlier than
the time limit Oftel has imposed on BT.
Oftel is now asking the Commission to amend its regulation to
provide that: “Operators shall offer to provide within a reasonable
timescale unbundled access to third parties on reasonable
request.”
Critics fear that Oftel’s proposed wording, which leaves open
the interpretation of “a reasonable timescale”, would set back the
opening of competition, and consequently the provision of
competitive broadband internet access in the UK, by up to a
year.
Oftel reportedly denied trying to delay the unbundling
process.
