Riaan Inkampani yaseBrithani ebuka i-telco i-Ofcom ibambezela isinqumo ngohlelo lwentengo oluhlongozwayo lwe-Openreach lwe-Equinox 2 lwe-fiber broadband, njengoba sekusele amasonto ambalwa ngaphambi kokuthi umkhiqizo oqondiswe kubahlinzeki bezinsizakalo ze-inthanethi utholakale emigwaqweni.
Lesi sinyathelo sithinta izaphulelo ezinikezwa yi-Openreach, uphiko lwengqalasizinda ye-BT yase-UK yangaphambili yezokuxhumana ngocingo, yama-ISP asebenzisa inethiwekhi yawo yefayibha ukuletha izinsiza kumakhasimende.
Udaba seluvele luyimpikiswano, nabaqhubi benethiwekhi abayizimbangi ukukhononda ngokuthi i-Openreach ibenza kancane ngokungafanele. Ngaphandle kwalokhu, umlawuli u-Ofcom wayeke waveza ukuthi akanandaba nokuvimbela i-Openreach ukuthi yethule i-Equinox 2.
U-Ofcom ubehlele ukushicilela isinqumo sokugcina nge-Equinox 2, kulandela inqubo yokubonisana, ekupheleni kukaMashi. Kepha manje isimemezele ukuthi ithole izimpendulo ezinemininingwane eminingi, ezinye zazo “eziphakamisa izinkinga ezidinga ukuhlolwa okwengeziwe.”
Ngenxa yalokho, u-Ofcom uthe kulindeleke ukuthi kuthathe ezinye izinyanga ezimbili ukuqedela ukuhlaziya okwengeziwe okudingekayo futhi kukhishwe isinqumo esingujuqu. Kodwa-ke, ukunikezwa kwe-Equinox 2 bekumele kwethulwe ngo-Ephreli 1.
“Ukuze sinikeze isiqiniseko kanye nokuzinza embonini, umbono wethu uthi ngeke kulunge ukuthi lesi sicelo sethulwe kuze kube sikhipha isinqumo sethu sokugcina,” kusho u-Ofcom esimemezelweni sakhe.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-Ofcom iveze ukuthi izimisele ukusebenzisa amandla ayo ngaphansi koMthetho Wezokuxhumana ka-2003 ukuvimba ukwethulwa, ngaphandle uma i-Openreach ikuhlehlisa ngokuzithandela.
Lokhu ngeke kubonakale kudingekile, njengoba i-Openreach ikhiphe isitatimende ithi izohlehlisa uhlelo olusha lwamanani.
“Nakuba siqhubeka nokwabelana ngombono wokuqala we-Ofcom wokuthi okunikezwayo kwethu akumelani nokuncintisana, kubalulekile ukuthi umlawuli abe nesikhathi sokucabangela yonke impendulo ayitholile ngokugcwele nangokungakhethi, ukuze izintengo zethu ze-Full Fiber ezehlisiwe ngeke ziqale ukusebenza 1 Ephreli,” kusho i-Openreach.
Inkampani iphinde yathi uma ukuhlolwa kokuqala kwe-Ofcom kuqinisekiswa, izoqinisekisa ukuthi amakhasimende ayazuza kumanani entengo ye-Equinox 2 ehlehliselwe u-Ephreli 1.
I-Equinox 2 iyisandiso sesivumelwano sokuqala se-Equinox esiqale ukusebenza ngo-Okthoba 2021. Lokhu kunikeze ama-ISP izikhuthazo phakathi neminyaka engu-10 ezayo ukuze ababhalisi abasha babhalisele i-fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) esikhundleni sokuxhunywa kwefa kusetshenziswa. i-copper cabling, ingxenye yezinyathelo zokuthola okwengeziwe kwe-UK ku-fiber broadband.
Lezo zinzuzo ngokuyinhloko kwakuyizaphulelo ekufinyeleleni okuthe xaxa kunethiwekhi yefayibha ye-Openreach. Lokhu kubangele abahlinzeki benethiwekhi abahlukile (ama-altnets) ukuthi bakhononde ngokuthi inikeze i-Openreach inzuzo engalungile, njengoba ama-ISP ayenesisusa sezimali sokuyikhetha esikhundleni sawo lapho ebhalisa ababhalisile abasha ekuxhumekeni kwefayibha.
Umhlinzeki oyedwa we-altnet, i-CityFibre, yaze yayisa i-Ofcom ku-Competition Appeal Tribunal ngesinqumo sayo sokuvumela uhlelo lokuqala lwe-Equinox, kodwa isikhalazo sinqatshiwe.
Isikhundla sika-Openreach mhlawumbe asizange sisize ngombhalo we-Financial Times ngoFebhuwari, lapho isikhulu esiphezulu se-BT Group uPhilip Jansen acashunwa ethi inethiwekhi ye-broadband yenkampani yakhe “iwumshini ongavimbeki” nokuthi lesi simo “sizogcina sikhala izinyembezi” ngenxa yesimo se-Openreach. amanethiwekhi amaningi imbangi.
I-Ofcom ithathe isinyathelo soku ukushicilela ukuxhumana no-Jansen mayelana nalolu daba, lapho echaza khona ukuthi ukuphawula kwakhe “kukhishiwe”, ngemuva kokuthi i-CEO ye-Ofcom uDame Melanie Dawes imtshele ukuthi lo mbiko ubangele “ukukhathazeka okukhulu.”
Ngakho-ke ukubambezeleka kwesinqumo se-Ofcom kuphakamisa ithemba lokuthi umlawuli angase angayiniki imvume ye-Equinox 2, okwakumelwe ihlanganise ingxube yezinzuzo ezengeziwe zokukhuthaza ukuthathwa kwezinsizakalo zomkhawulokudonsa ophezulu.
Umhlaziyi wemidiya kanye ne-telco u-Paolo Pescatore we-PP Foresight uzibuze ukuthi kungenzeka yini ukuthi i-Ofcom manje iyacabanga.
“Ingabe i-Ofcom inoshintsho lwenhliziyo kubahlinzeki bengqalasizinda abayizimbangi njenge-Virgin Media O2 namanye ama-altnet [Openreach] amanani aphansi kakhulu, ewakhipha emakethe?” Kusho uPescatore.
Umlawuli manje ubhekene nesinqumo esinzima, wanezela, ngokulandela imibono yangaphambili ephakamisa ukuthi ngeke ivimbele i-Equinox 2, kuyilapho kube nokukhala phakathi kwama-altnets mayelana nomphumela wawo ekwazini kwabo ukuncintisana.
“I-Ofcom manje inenselele enzima yokuhlola umthelela walezi zintengo ezintsha nokuthi ingabe izoba nomthelela omubi emakethe nokukhetha,” kusho uPescatore.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, i-Virgin Media O2 yenqabile ukuphawula ngaphandle kokuthi “Isinqumo sika-Ofcom sokubambezeleka sicacile.”
Khonamanjalo, i-Openreach igcizelele ukuthi izama nje ukwenza ingxenye yayo ukusiza ukuthuthukisa ingqalasizinda yezwe ibe yinethiwekhi yesimanje yefayibha.
“Isipho sethu siyimpendulo kumakhasimende, afuna amanani aphansi kanye nesiqiniseko sesikhathi eside ukuze awasize ashintshele ekuxhumekeni okusheshayo, okuthembeke kakhudlwana kwe-broadband. Iphinde isekele ukutshalwa kwezimali kwethu okuqhubekayo kwezigidigidi zamaphawundi ukuze kuthuthukiswe ingqalasizinda ye-Broadband yase-UK,” kusho inkampani.
Ephendula ezindabeni zesinqumo sika-Ofcom sokwelula isibuyekezo sayo se-Equinox 2, uGreg Mesch, oyi-CEO e-CityFibre namuhla usitshele: “I-Ofcom ibonakala ithatha ngokungathi sína ukukhathazeka kwemboni. Ukuthatha isikhathi esengeziwe sokucabangela kahle umthelela we-Equinox 2 kuyindlela efanele uma Abathengi namabhizinisi ase-UK bazozuza emakethe yokuncintisana enempilo isikhathi eside. ” ®
