Ofcom to set new BT Openreach prices

BT Openreach will have new maximum charges set by Ofcom

Ofcom has proposed a new range of wholesale prices that BT Openreach can charge providers for access to its telecoms services.

The communications watchdog said that the proposals are a continuation of its consultation into how telecoms services are provided to the home.

Ofcom said that the new price ranges, which include £85 to £91 for a fully unbundled line and £15.60 to £16.20 for a shared unbundled line, are designed to increase competition in the provision of voice and broadband services.

Rob Bamforth, principal analyst at Quocirca, suggested that it was "about time" for Ofcom to take this action, but that take up might not be significant.

"Now is not a positive time for companies thinking about investing in new infrastructure, what with financial market turmoil and the recession. But, thinking longer term about the needs of the country, the reach of high-speed open networks will be increasingly important," he said.

"So it remains vital to keep up the encouragement of competition, to grow reach as well as speed and capacity, even as times harden. I am a big believer in open infrastructure."

The Ofcom consultation document is available now, and the organisation expects to put its results into action by April next year.