BT's Openreach to delay pricing plan after Ofcom probe delay

UK communication regulator Ofcom has delayed the conclusion of its investigation into a new BT Openreach broadband pricing plan by two months.

Openreach confirmed on Friday that it will hold back the launch of its Equinox 2 pricing deal as a result.

Ofcom’s probe finished on March 4, and it had planned to make a final ruling by the end of the month, but said it had received a number of detailed responses to the consultation, some of which raised “issues which require further assessment”.

“To provide certainty and stability for industry, our view is that it would not be appropriate for the offer to launch until we issue our final decision,” the regulator said.

A provisional assessment indicated that the plan to offer discounted rates on Openreach’s fibre broadband products did not raise competition concerns.

An Openreach spokesman said: “Whilst we continue to share Ofcom’s initial view that our offer isn’t anti-competitive, it’s important the regulator has time to consider all the feedback it has received fully and fairly, so our discounted Full Fibre prices won’t come into effect on April 1.”

“That said, we don’t think customers should be forced to pay higher prices because of this delay so, if Ofcom’s initial assessment is confirmed in May, we’ll ensure our customers benefit from Equinox 2 pricing from April 1.”

“Our offer is a response to customers, who want lower prices and long-term certainty to help them switch to faster, more reliable broadband connections.”

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com