David Young

IT / Telecoms Consultant, Programme Manager and Business Coach

OfCom Consultation of LLU market revision – Major UK ISP

Summary:

Broadband operators had very little ability to differentiate based on network cost or services due, in the main, to a strong reliance on a regulated wholesale product set from BT. In other countries, Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) had provided this required differentiator but in the UK this option was not commercially viable for standard consumer services. This leading ISP wanted to challenge this situation and needed to build an internal business case to challenge the regulator and BT on the basis of improved customer services and choice that could be delivered given a viable LLU commercial platform

David played a technical, operational and commercial advisory role in the generation of the original business case and the response to market consultation by OfCom.

David pulled together the necessary stakeholders (including FT group), motivated teams and managed this programme in line with an alternative solution – should this regulatory pressure be unsuccessful.

Key Skills Deployed:

Regulatory lobbying

Deep understanding of LLU economics and operational processes

Detailed understanding of current [wholesale] cost-base

Financial Analysis

Internal and external Stakeholder Management

Negotiation

Business Planning

Outcome:

This submission was seen as one of the key responses to overthrow the incumbent situation and place new focus on making LLU a commercially attractive approach to alternate operators.

Regulatory pressure and the accuracy of the business plan provided a green light for LLU in the UK and a viable business case for this ISP to fund and roll-out. A change in the economics of broadband for the UK consumer was achieved on the back of this project - a win/win situation for ISPs, the consumer, BT and Ofcom.

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