The regulator set Openreach annual minimum standards for repairs and installations as part of its 2021 review of wholesale fixed telecoms markets. Those minimum standards are designed to ensure Openreach provides the quality of service its customers need.
The standards include a requirement for Openreach to repair 94 per cent of ethernet and dark fibre faults within the time stipulated in its contractual service level agreement.
Data provided by Openreach suggested that existing standards were becoming increasingly difficult to reach due to a change in the underlying fault mix. Ofcom proposed to replace the current ‘on-time repair’ measure with a ‘mean time to repair’ measure and appropriate standard, and amend related key performance indicators.
The regulator has now considered responses to its consultation from multiple stakeholders and has decided to retain the existing measure and standard and related KPIs.
A spokesperson said, “We consider, among other things, that despite changes in the fault mix, Openreach has up until this point been able to meet the existing standards and, with sufficient resources devoted to repairs, this should be sustainable for the remainder of the control period. We also acknowledge the concerns of stakeholders that our proposed standard for a ‘mean time to repair’ measure may not maintain the same level of incentive on Openreach to deliver repairs as the current standard.
“Overall, these are minimum standards that Openreach is expected to achieve and, while this may be challenging, it reflects the criticality to customers of ethernet and dark fibre services and we expect Openreach to resource itself to meet them.”
Ofcom intends to reappraise these repair standards as part of its next Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review.