BT pushes forward with WLR3 roll out

BT this week confirmed that its plans to ensure telephone customers benefit from the same levels of service by implementing a standard communication provider order and repair system are on track to meet the ultimate deadline of June 2010.

From the beginning of this week, all new consumer and business customers, regardless of whether they are a direct BT customer, will now benefit from the Wholesale Line Rental product (WLR3) system, which replaces previous multiple bespoke ways of service provision and contact with BT with one standard process.

"It's all part of our strategic review and undertaking our commitment to Ofcom and the rest of the industry to essentially ensure that every single PSTN customer and company servicing them is using the same systems and processes," a BT spokesman told IT PRO.

"We believe the playing field was genuinely level already but this makes it absolutely transparent."

Half a dozen communications providers in the UK are already using WLR3 to benefit their customers, according to Gaby Heppner-Logan, BT's director of regulatory affairs.

"BT Retail is the first communications provider to start using WLR3 at volume. This has been achieved through a massive change programme, involving changing the systems and ways that thousands of people work. As with any new product introduction, we have been ramping up our use of WLR3 in a carefully controlled manner to minimise disruption for customers," she said.

"We will continue to monitor the ongoing implementation very carefully and may use fallback systems if required in order to sustain a high level of customer service. Given that BT may have to use such a fallback option, we will voluntarily continue with the 25p arrangements for each WLR line rented by communication providers for the month of July."

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