It appears that if they have access to 4G at speeds of 10Mbps or above then they aren't a USO target in the first place - doesn't matter who the provider is. If they can't get 4G then one potential solution may be to install 4G masts.

In reply to a post by ian72:

It appears that if they have access to 4G at speeds of 10Mbps or above then they aren't a USO target in the first place - doesn't matter who the provider is. If they can't get 4G then one potential solution may be to install 4G masts.

Understood. But my question was: If they can�t get 4G at the moment, and masts need to be installed then does that need to be wholesaled by Openreach? But it appears not.

Icaras

Openreach dont own the network assets BT Group do. So BT Group would become the USO designated provider (if Ofcom agree). BT Group's response states they would instruct openreach to proactively build out to all USO properties under the £3400 cost threshold. Although the numbers are redacted you can approx around 70k-80k properties would get new infrastructure.

The controversial aspect of BT Groups response is removing the 450k properties with 4G cover from the USO - how that plays out in other areas where other designated USO providers may be available... For example Hyperoptic and Quickline both suggest they would seek designation in specific areas, but you could hazard a guess that the vast majority of properties in those areas would also have 4G coverage so would they be excluded from USO?

In reply to a post by Icaras:

Understood. But my question was: If they can�t get 4G at the moment, and masts need to be installed then does that need to be wholesaled by Openreach? But it appears not.

The key aspect is that 4G wouldn't be the USO delivery, but having 4G Coverage (at acceptable RSRP of -105db @ 1800MHz) would exclude you from USO inclusion.

There's no suggestion of using USO funding to build more 4G coverage - so no requirement to Wholesale or Mast sharing.

Edited by TechServ (Mon 17-Sep-18 17:39:37)

If an existing service meets the USO metrics then no matter who is USO operator in an area, the USO becomes irrelevant

Now with 4G it is possible that house A will get 25 Mbps down and 2 Mbps up, but house B 40 metres way will be below 1 Mbps on the upload side, but you would usually only know that once someone has tried to install the service.

Which raises questions around how you determine if a service is USO compliant.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

If an existing service meets the USO metrics then no matter who is USO operator in an area, the USO becomes irrelevant

Now with 4G it is possible that house A will get 25 Mbps down and 2 Mbps up, but house B 40 metres way will be below 1 Mbps on the upload side, but you would usually only know that once someone has tried to install the service.

Which raises questions around how you determine if a service is USO compliant.

Currently 4G / LTE is not compliant as an NGA technology, so it depends if Ofcom accept 4G as a valid broadband service - hard to argue when 17000 currently use EE's 4G Home Router, but still to be answered.

With regard to house A and house B, by only using 1800MHz spectrum you can determine quite accurately the RSRP and SINR at any given pin location - that will determine the speed achievable. By not using 800MHz spectrum there is no danger of upload falling below 1Mbps. The -105dB RSRP limit will also remove marginal coverage properties and seasonal variations.

NGA? You mean superfast?

If Ofcom was to rule 4G as non USO compliant full stop, irrespective of speeds of service, then ADSL2+ would have to be and a lot of the fixed wireless services too.

Ofcom is likely to accept 4G as a USO capable service, but will vary for individuals as to whether it qualifies based on the connection speed that a 4G modem will connect at.

4G ticks the latency parameters, for lots of areas ticks the download and upload, and usage allowance of 100GB can be done. The downside being the cost of the 100GB allowance and that is where things may change, hint look at the rise of higher usage allowance packages especially BT with a data SIM only service now.

Yep, I did already know that BT Group own the network assets and that hasn�t and won�t be transferred to Openreach Ltd.

Mobile technology is a tricky one. In some ways we rely on the network�s coverage maps. Which in my experience are often wrong. As Andrew said you can move 40m and have no useable signal. Maybe even in an area that the network says you should have a signal.

I�m outside now and have 1 bar of 3G on EE. It�s excrutiatingly slow, but the network map says I should have great outdoor coverage.

The advantage with the EE 4G Home solution is that if you order and then cannot get signal with the outdoor antenna then that should trigger you as being non USO, how this will all work i.e. maps say yes but reality says no are what is going to cause all the shouting when the USO starts actually working.

NOTE: Mounting an external antenna on the roofline of a home is very different to standing outside with a mobile phone in terms of signal reception

Icarus

I think other have now covered this. The response suggests that BT Group commission OR to provide FTTP ( or possibly FTTC) where there is no supplier able to offer a USO service.

section 3.16 states "Where the number of customer orders to BT in an area reached a level that allowed the deployment to be undertaken within the threshold, BT would commission Openreach to build. "

Likewise,for those customers above the £3400 section 4.2 states
" Where a consumer requests service, we would request a cost quote from Openreach. If the consumer was prepared to pay the excess, we would commission the build from Openreach as appropriate."