New Ofcom Market bands announced

[jelv]

There's no way you can relate the type of user to the market area - it's largely accidental as I doubt many people took in to account the Market area when they decided on their current home. In fact the vast majority of users will have moved to their current property way before OFCOM invented the market areas.

[Anotherone]

Quote from: spraxyt

In that case Market 2 and 3 customers would be paying more to subsidise the higher Ofcom regulated wholesale costs of providing service in Market 1 exchanges. Ofcom seem to think this approach will encourage competitors to put their equipment into such BT exchanges. Why isn't there a rush?

This is more to the point. OFCOM currently require BTw to charge more in the Market 1 areas. So when it comes to other providers using BTw products, their prices aren't especially competitive so there is no real incentive for people to use them. That in turn gives those operators no incentive to consider LLU equipment as they don't have enough customers. The solution is simple, it doesn't require waiting for OFCOM to complete any useless review that they should have done at least twice over by now - scrap the Market system altogether and the price fixing that goes with it, that could be done tomorrow.

[jelv]

If the exchange is too small for any LLU operators to be in there by now I can't see OFCOM trying to give them a commercial edge is going to encourage them as it hasn't worked so far.
What about making BTw to charge Market 3 prices on 20CN Market 1 exchanges? At least people stuck on a small Market 1 exchange wouldn't feel ripped off and it would make BTw think seriously about putting in 21CN so they could charge the Market 1 prices.

[pint]

Quote from: ReedRichards

I'm on a Market 1 exchange that was upgraded to 21CN/ADSL2+ earlier this year.  Since the last Ofcom review in Dec 2010 my exchange has gained two LLU providers, Sky and TalkTalk so if Ofcom were to look again the exchange would be reclassified as Market 2. When Ofcom launched its Market classifications, the expectation was that these would be reviewed annually.  The whole purpose of the price structure was to encourage LLU providers into telephone exchanges where they did not have a presence.  It is wholly wrong of Ofcom not to acknowledge this when it happens and it will cost me hundreds of pounds if I stick with Plusnet.

Im in the same boat :( Talk talk LLU are on my local exchange, and its still market 1 Ive tried to find out when it will be re-classified and the only answer i seem to be able to find is that it will be staying on market 1 as the anual review plan has been dropped.
If ( and thats a big if) the market classifiaction is corrected, will plusnet be offering a refund to customers who have been paying the wrong rate due to this error?

[James]

We wouldn't be offering a refund, as we will have been charged the higher rate throughout your time as a customer.
I appreciate your frustration at having to pay the full rate for Market 1 exchanges, but I don't really see why you would expect us to refund you.

[pint]

If the exchange is listed as Market 1, Samknows says this:" This exchange has BT Wholesale as the sole provider of broadband services. "
But it also says this:
"Broadband availability overview
ADSL: Yes
SDSL: No
LLU services: Yes
Cable: No
Wireless: No"
If LLU services are available from companys other than BT wholesale, then sureley the exchange, by offcoms own definitions that exchange is market 2 or market 3 as BT wholesale are not the sole provider
from my end it looks like someone has made a mistake, and if that is the case then there should eb some mechanism for offcom to refund the ISPs for their error, and in turn that refund should be passed on to the end user.

[James]

But Ofcom are not the ones charging the ISP, so why would they feel inclined to refund?
I don't see BT giving us a refund because the market is not classified as it should be. Ofcom certainly won't be giving them a refund either.

[paxy]

I'm tired not because of market bandings, I'm tired that it is not up-to-date with no schedule for correction - and Plusnet don't seem to care, and keep passing the buck back to OFCOM.
Plusnet should consider supporting Plusnet customers by lobbying OFCOM to get this sorted, especially as they are the only ISP to use it.  Plusnet must have contacts at OFCOM who have some sort of regular dialogue (if not, why not).

[Anotherone]

And customers should moan at OFCOM as well, and keep moaning and not be put of by the usual response of "we don't deal with individual cases" which is bull. Keep moaning at OFCOM.

[paxy]

Hi All
Any news on new market bands?  Seems a bit crazy as my exchange now has another provider enabled 6 months ago (Sky now as well as Talk Talk).
I know Plusnet were hopeful there would be one 'soon'.
I remain very happy with Plusnet - but the other offers are looking real tempting when market 1 exchanges are £7 greater than the headline prices on this website.
Paxy

[x47c]

See this thread on the proposed new market structure:
Provisionally due next year to run for 3 years
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,116477.16.html

[paxy]

Thank you x47c, I had missed that announcement....