Good to see, I assume the recovery started with the sale of Cellnet mobile network, and carried on with various investments, looks to have paid off.

Apparently the deficit repair plan they’re executing is secured by an asset-backed funding arrangement against EE. Interesting.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

Well yeah I always presumed that OR charged the providers, which is strange since OR want us to go onto FTTP, what advantage is it for providers if they have to pay OR?

As I understand it openreach are offering ISPs a discount if they reach certain targets re switching to FTTP where available. It may also be that the discount is also applied to the migration. Certainly I think openreach are keen to retire the copper network where fibre is deployed

Some providers are indirectly passing the cost on. For example, on Plusnet, 40/10 FTTC and 40/10 FTTP have the same monthly rental. But the FTTP option comes without the £70 cashback, and has a 24 month contract instead of 18.

But sooner or later it won't matter: once an exchange area has reached 75% FTTP coverage and a copper "stop sell" is in operation, any property where FTTP is available will have to take FTTP. They can retain an existing live FTTC service if they have one, but can't modify it in any way, including migrating to another provider.

Certainly I think openreach are keen to retire the copper network where fibre is deployed

Exactly, the profits will be easier produced with less spent on maintaining a creaking copper network. The shift to an IP based voice service will save them money too. All at a time when the Altnets are nipping at their heels, and cherry picking where they roll out.

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Apparently the deficit repair plan they’re executing is secured by an asset-backed funding arrangement against EE. Interesting.

If only BT hadn't taken all those pension contribution holidays in the 1990's when staff were paying their contributions BT were nowhere to be seen.

In reply to a post by dect:

If only BT hadn't taken all those pension contribution holidays in the 1990's when staff were paying their contributions BT were nowhere to be seen.

Unclear if a certain Mr Brown was involved...

In reply to a post by jchamier:

Unclear if a certain Mr Brown was involved...

Political rabbit holes 😎

BT pension holiday was 89-93.

Removing the UK network from the UK's 'flag carrier' was something that BT's owners would not agree to and would probably still be going through the courts now. So as with many things we ended up with a compromise and a deal getting done swiftly.

In my view it is scandalous that workers on what is now the Openreach business make up the vast majority of the pension scheme members. Yet Openreach are not allowed to factor in the deficit costs into their prices.