As part of the Equivalence Management Platform (EMP) Release 400, additional functionality has been introduced to enable WLR (EMP) Analogue Communications Providers to order the following line types which are not currently available within the WLR portfolio. The launch date for these line types will be 22nd January 2007.

All other connection, rental and transfer prices for WLR (EMP) Analogue remain unchanged as per the WLR published prices available at http://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/pricing/wlrprices.do

The new line types are:

• New Provides at Non-Served Premises (NSP).
• Short duration lines for example lines provided at site offices or Ships in Dock.
• “Hot sites” lines where high voltage is present for example at power stations, which require the installation of line isolation units.

Pricing

All line types are subject to a standard connection and line rental charge plus any Visit Charges, Time Related Charges or Excess Construction Charges where applicable, as per the published Common Portfolio Products (CPP) prices available at http://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/pricing/commonportfolioproducts.do  plus the following additional charges.

Additional charges (ex vat):

NSP lines – These lines are subject to a one off survey fee of £95.00 per line to cover the cost of the external survey required before the line can be provisioned.

Short duration lines – Lines provided to site offices and ships in dock are subject to a one off short duration line supplementary charge of £75.00.

Hot sites – These lines are subject to additional connection and rental charges for a line isolation unit.  The units provided will depend on the line type.  Prices can be found in the CPP section of the Openreach Price List at http://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/pricing/commonportfolioproducts.do

Line Descriptions

Non-Served Premises are premises which have not previously had a fixed line telephone service. These would normally be uninhabited/unmanned sites, not governed by the conditions of the Health & Safety at Work Act (HSAW), nor would they comply with conditions as defined by local councils as habitable.

This type of service would typically be sited in a street or footway or at a roadside and are normally unmanned and include payphone sites, roadside locations, traffic control system sites, mobile transmitters etc.

A short duration line is a line provided for short-term use.  Lines provided into site offices and ships in dock fall into this category and will be subject to a one off short duration line supplementary charge.

A hot site is primarily found in an electricity company’s power stations or other operational buildings, or in “hot zones” which may extend beyond the perimeter of the associated electricity station.  Electricity companies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for compiling and maintaining a register of hot sites. Isolation is required on metallic cable pairs serving these hot sites.

A number of line isolating units have been developed to provide isolation for different services.

Communications Providers need to be established as WLR (EMP) CPs before placing orders and will also need to sign the separate Common Portfolio Product Agreement.