BT 2013 Annual Report Download - page 36

Business
34
Mobility
We sell mobile voice and broadband data services through a mobile
virtual network operator (MVNO) agreement with Vodafone. Our 4G
mobile spectrum licence will help us build on our existing proposition
and offer an even better range of mobile services.
BT Wholesale
BT Wholesale sells voice, broadband and data communications products
to fixed and mobile network operators (MNOs), internet service
providers (ISPs) and telecoms resellers in Great Britain. Our managed
network services combine BT products with third-party components
and our own professional services, which include network solution
design, field services, network migration, programme management
and risk management. We also offer industry-specific services to media
companies and broadcasters.
Products and services
Wholesale broadband
CPs buy wholesale fibre and copper broadband services from us. Our
WBC portfolio includes three FTTC options, eight FTTP options and our
ADSL2+ copper broadband service.
The rollout of ADSL2+ and fibre broadband is well advanced in theUK.
This means that from autumn 2013 we will be retiring our legacy
wholesale broadband services within the WBC footprint. We are working
closely with CPs to help them migrate their customers smoothly.
Wholesale Ethernet
We design high-bandwidth Ethernet services to help CPs extend their
networks and give their own customers high-quality services. With
speeds of 2Mbps to 10Gbps, we have the widest range of Ethernet
access options on offer.
Partial private circuits
We are a major provider of partial private data circuits which enable our
customers to complete their own networks and help them extend the
reach of their services.
Voice services
We offer managed voice solutions for CPs who do not want to invest in
their own PSTN or IP voice networks. Our Wholesale Calls product is an
end-to-end PSTN voice service and in 2013/14 we will be launching
new IP hosted communications services including SIP trunking, IP
Centrex and hosted contact centre solutions.
IP Exchange (IPX)
We offer voice interconnect services so that a phone call will reach
its destination at an agreed level of quality. The migration of voice
calls to IP requires new interconnect arrangements which are made
simple by IPX. It enables fixed and mobile operators with differing VoIP
networks to connect VoIP-to-VoIP and VoIP-to-traditional voice calls
by seamlessly translating them in an electronic clearing house – and it
supports emerging services such as HD voice.
We sell IPX through BT Wholesale in Great Britain and internationally
through BT Global Services.
Transit
We route voice services between CPs across our network, both in the
UK and internationally, but this is a low-margin product with declining
demand.
Managed Network Services (MNS)
Our managed network services give CPs access to our expertise and
economies of scale and help them reduce their operational and future
capital spending.
We design, build, manage and transform networks for them, while our
white-label managed services help them offer products like voice and
broadband without the need to make large investments. Our solutions
can be either dedicated to one customer or shared amongst several. We
can offer a complete service, from accepting and processing new orders
through to customer service and billing the end-user.
Media and broadcast services
Our global media network links all the main locations around the world
where producers create or distribute broadcast content. We have a
number of strategic alliances which extend our portfolio and customer
reach. In the UK, digital terrestrial TV delivery is underpinned by our
media-specific MPLS network and we deliver TV outside broadcast
services over our network connecting 155 sports and news locations.
In addition, BT Agilemedia offers high-quality solutions to enable mass
viewer participation in TV voting and competitions.
Openreach
At Openreach we want to improve access to broadband across Britain.
We believe this will support economic growth.
We are responsible for providing services over the local loop (sometimes
known as the local access network and the last mile). This is made up of
the copper and fibre connections between our exchanges, and homes
and businesses. We are in charge of BT’s fibre broadband rollout. We also
offer backhaul products to connect exchanges to CPs’ networks.
BT’s Undertakings (more on page 39) commit us to selling our main
products and services to all CPs openly and equally and on the same
terms as we do to our own lines of business. To make this work properly,
Openreach’s operational, engineering and systems capabilities are
separate from those of the rest of BT. Around 96% of Openreach
revenue is subject to this regulation.
Products and services
Openreach sells three main products: fibre broadband, copper-based
services and Ethernet.
Fibre broadband
This is either FTTC, which offers speeds of up to 80Mbps, or FTTP, which
offers faster speeds of up to 330Mbps when fibre is connected all the
way to the customer premises.
In April 2013 we launched FTTP-on-Demand, which will initially be
available within a subset of the FTTC footprint. It will let end-users in
FTTC areas get a FTTP connection if they need one – we think SMEs will
be especially interested in the faster speeds.
With our Fibre Voice Access product, CPs can offer voice services over
fibre which offer similar functionality to copper voice services.
Our fibre broadband network can also carry broadcast Internet Protocol
television (IPTV) services. We have launched a multicast capability which
cuts the costs of delivering broadcast TV over our network and means
CPs (generally triple play providers) can prioritise broadcast TV over
other web traffic.
Passive Infrastructure Access (PIA)
PIA products allow CPs to rent space in Openreach’s ducts or on
telegraph poles. CPs can use this space for their own fibre instead of
buying fibre-based broadband from us.