Interestingly this particular exchange has WBC, but Zen are charging their higher price on it. So it does not look like Zen's lower prices are solely dependent on WBC availability.

http://i.imgur.com/QSinM9c.png

http://i.imgur.com/eErTUK0.png

I am with zen and i was only made aware of the difference after i had agreed to forgo my cheap £11.00 line rental in favour of a cheaper overall cost to upgrade to adsl2 when it was made available in august this year.

I was told initially it would be £17.00 L/R + £13.33 totally unlimited B/B.
The e-mail i got quoting what i had ordered was very different.
£16.99 L/R + £48.00 for the same allowance i had previously (500gb).

So i went from £34.78 to £64.99 for the same service albeit faster.
Our exchange is WWCHLL in devon and the dsl checker says we are now connected to cabinet 1 as we were exchange only lines so i know we will have fibre soon, It will be interesting to see what price i am offered then.

BT can set whatever price they like for WBC ADSL, albeit on Market A exchanges the price they can charge is capped by Ofcom. Until competition arrives at these exchanges I don't think BT will offer ISPs a lower price on a wholesale level, and this is what in turn leads to the higher pricing with Zen and others at these exchanges despite WBC being available.

Edited by Oliver341 (Tue 10-Nov-15 21:48:47)

Unless the A/B system has changed in one important respect from the 1/2/3 system, which as far as I remember it hasn't, the subsequent arrival of LLU kit at a Market A exchange does not change its classification. As such, any minimum price requirements imposed on BTW by Ofcom do not change.

BT Wholesale will not be able to offer lower prices if competition arrives. Only with WBC can they do that, and even that will be subject to the Ofcom minimum price.

Are you sure Ofcom impose a fixed price as opposed to a charge cap?

Because there are exchanges classified Market A, but with WBC-based providers selling products at their lower prices. If the WBC wholesale prices are fixed high by Ofcom at these exchanges then I can't see how the retail providers could afford to offer their lower cost products.

Ofcom's site specifically mentions excessive pricing, indicating the charge control is a price cap and not a fix, but I am unsure of the exact details.

In reference to stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/review-wba-markets/summary:

1.22 We also propose that BT's services in Market A should be subject to a price control in order to ensure that BT does not set excessive prices for wholesale broadband services which would ultimately be passed on to consumers.