Allegedly, national house builder's own "phone" service only on new houses?

This has the feeling of a Saturday night pub quiz answer.


I thought the only place in the UK with a landline telephone network that does not belong to BT is Kingston upon Hull.


So the Persimmon sites would not be unique, but it is setting a new precedent.


Andy Betteridge

I understand it was taken over earlier this year, but is still independent of BT.


 Andy Betteridge

I was a shareholder of Manx Telecom for a year or so before I fold my shares, they have been taken over as well.


How long will be be before Persimmon sell it out if they get their Telecom company up and running?


Andy Betteridge

I thought the only place in the UK with a landline telephone network that does not belong to BT is Kingston upon Hull

A lot of the "cable TV" companies starting back in the 1990s ran a single pair phone line in alongside the TV co-ax - and offered an option of a non-BT phone service - I suspect most have been taken over by Virgin by now.


Officially, the last mile isn't BT anymore but OpenReach (which may or may not be within the same overall group as BT, but is meant to operate independently of the BT that offers services to customers and provide a vendor-neutral service to all the suppliers).


  - Andy.

My understanding is:


Builders can invite 'any' supplier to provide the basic Telephone Communications services.

That it has generally and historically been OpenReach, but it does not have to be, means people can be caught out.


For many years, quietly, in various parts of the UK Companies like See The Light, have offered a Fibre to home (as part of the build), supplying not only Phone, but the TV and Broadband services as the default connection - for which you have to pay.whatever they choose to charge.

(a bit like having Freehold house but still have to pay for some common area of land upkeep through a management Co. because it has not been adopted)


Additionally as they have provided TV signal re-distribution services (like in blocks of flats, but in this case houses) they can enforce no external aerials/dishes etc. so Hobsons' on getting anything other than Sky and UK Terrestial services, other broadband or Phone service (again no costs controls) till the more recent VoIP alternatives. Oh, and as many who expected (a lot) more, initially got a few Kb/s of broadband not Mb/s for many months for their heavy fees... no choices or real appeal.


In theory other suppliers (eg TalkTalk,Sky, BT-Retail) 'can' come into their 'exchange' to provide their services, there are no cost controls on that access, as there is for Openreach provision.But again, the costs charged to them are prohibitive, so these Co's maintain their new monopoly. 


Again, as this is not BT or Openreach, despite being the now sole incumbent, there are no universal service requirements on them. So no 18xxx over-rides etc on the phone service, or other (as above) price/access controls. It is that last part, the lack of Universal Service obligations when an alternative supplier has been invited in, that is probably the main issue. A failure of the regulations /unforeseen consequences when it was assumed there would only/always be OpenReach plus ANO (eg Virgin Media, etc)


All of which is hardly the free market place expected when the legislation to open BT up was created.


but could be wrong.

Officially, the last mile isn't BT anymore but OpenReach (which may or may not be within the same overall group as BT, but is meant to operate independently of the BT that offers services to customers and provide a vendor-neutral service to all the suppliers).


That's the point I was trying to convey, as it appears that the "last mile" or so belongs to the builder and allegedly, should an owner subsequently require OpenReach provision to their property for any "phone/TV services" not in the builder's "monthly rent/charges", roads/pavements/gardens will have to be dug up and presumably paid for by the property owner........................


Regards


BOD


PS The post above is far more eloquent than mine!

There is a firm local to me Airband that provides wireless internet to remote communities and homes, maybe they will end up connecting purchasers of Persimmon Homes with internet connections.


To be honest I think a lot of new home purchasers will not bother with fixed landline phones and will go for mobile packages, taking your internet connection with you every time you leave home will stop you having some home automation gadgets, but you could always get a mobile dongle.


Andy Betteridge

Not having a normal openreach line to the property will make them virtually unsellable, as most ISP's use openreach for the last mile. Where will these independent lines terminate? If at the local exchange (still owned by BT) then that's where all the comms provider's gear is, and all will be well. But I can't see openreach OR BT allowing that!

Most new home developments have a ban on running businesses from home and parking commercial vehicles.


House builders do not want the people who built the houses to buy and move into one of them.


 Andy B