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First Threshold Notice under SMP Condition 1.6 and 1.7 for stop sell exchanges

 

What's Stop Sell?

The term stop sell is used by Openreach to signify stopping the sale of certain Openreach products. This is different from product withdrawal, as under stop sell, any end customer who already has the product, will be able to continue using it (until it is withdrawn). 

If a product is impacted by stop sell¹, this won’t just mean no new supply, but also, you won't be able to do working line takeovers, start of stopped lines, migrations, CP transfers, addition of broadband to copper voice lines, bandwidth modify, or addition of lines and channels to existing installations.

Currently there are two programmes for which stop sell applies:

1. FTTP Priority Exchange
2. WLR Withdrawal

 

How can I check if a stop sell is in effect?

Upcoming stop sells will mostly be done at individual exchange level (except for WLR stop sell), with more details on what those stop sells are on this page. It will then be down to the CP to identify whether a premises in a stop sell exchange is subject to stop sell, based on the shared stop sell rules. For more info click here.

The following stop sell flags are also available in dialogue services (please see below for details), that show when a stop sell is in effect, at an exchange level.

These flags are available on the following dialogue services:

• MPLA
• EMLC
• Address Matching
• OID (XML only)

What will happen if I order a product that is no longer available in a stop sell area?

The order will be rejected. Some examples of the KCIs you may receive are below:

FTTP Priority Exchange

As part of Openreach’s FTTP Priority Exchange programme, it has been agreed with Ofcom and industry, that in certain exchange areas that reach a high level of Ultrafast coverage², FTTP would become the main available product for CPs to consume¹.

What does this mean for me?

If FTTP Priority Exchange stop sell applies in an exchange where you’re trying to put an order through, then as long as FTTP is available at that premises, it’ll be the main valid product you can buy¹, and other products³ will no longer be available.

Please note that ethernet is not impacted/restricted by FTTP Priority Exchange stop sell.

If FTTP is not available at the premises, then the stop sell will not be applied.

 

WLR Withdrawal

BT announced in 2018 that it’ll be closing down the PSTN network in 2025, and as WLR⁴ relies on the PSTN, it means that Openreach will no longer offer this product post PSTN closure. A national stop sell was announced for 2023 to support this transition away from WLR, and the Mildenhall trial was set up to trial that stop sell.

What does this mean for me?

If WLR Withdrawal stop sell applies in an exchange where you’re trying to put an order through, then certain products will be restricted as covered below¹. Please note, that the stop sell rules between the Mildenhall trial and the national stop sell will be slightly different.

Mildenhall Trial

NB for the start of the Mildenhall trial SOTAP will not be available.

Therefore, in the initial period until SOTAP is available WLR and SMPF orders will be accepted as a replacement product where there is no fibre available at the premises – for example exchange only lines  

PLEASE NOTE: An exception request will be accepted if a MPF service is specifically required and is absolutely necessary where the fibre products don't fulfil the specific requirement required at a premises in Mildenhall.