BT Openreach told to shape up or face fines
UK telecoms giant BT could face fines if it does not meet new targets to repair its extensive UK telephone and broadband network, Ofcom has said.
IT Pro reports that new rules that come into force on Monday require BT’s Openreach infrastructure division to fix 70 per cent of faults – in the network used by BT’s own customers, as well as those of rivals – within two working days.
Ofcom said: “Under the changes, the majority of phone and broadband faults will have to be repaired within two working days, while most customers requiring a new line must receive an appointment within 12 working days.
“Should Openreach fail to meet the new targets, the company will face sanctions from Ofcom, which could include fines.”
Other providers such as Sky and TalkTalk – who run their home phone and broadband services through Openreach – have in the past labelled the service consistently poor.
BT has said that it will be hiring 1,600 more engineers to meet the new requirements.
