News 

The telco responded positively to the regulator's proposal that ISPs should be mandated to supply a Migration Access Code on request, but insisted that the requirement should not be extended to wholesale providers.

'We are fully committed to the MAC process - we want to make sure customers who choose to switch can do so without fuss,' the company said in a statement, adding that it 'thinks MAC is best enforced rigourously at the retail level because this is where the customer has the contact and the relationship with their provider'.

Putting the onus on the wholesale provider would not only generate unnecessary and excessive costs, it would also cause several problems for both the broadband user and the provider, BT explained in its response to Ofcom's consultation document.

Problems that BT has identified include: end users being unlikely to know who the underlying wholesale broadband provider is; wholesale providers being unable to verify the end user; and providers being unable to verify that a MAC

ADVERTISEMENT

had been requested, subsequently refused and whether there was a legitimate reason for doing so.

BT added that is working with other ISPs to tackle problems with broadband migrations in order to improve migration processes.

Other broadband wholesalers also backed the proposal to compel retail ISPs to issues MACs. Cable & Wireless for one, albeit with the caveat that the migration process needs to be clarified for LLU operators, as MAC codes are not used by fully-unbundled lines.

Cable & Wireless also criticised BT. Its response noted: 'that some of these problems are due to (well known) deficiencies in BT's systems which have been obvious for some time and could have been corrected some time ago.'

Thus similarly gave its approval, so long as it only applies to domestic broadband services: 'any new regulation must be carefully targeted to areas where there is clear evidence of a problem, and not extend beyond those areas. The main area where regulation appears to be needed is migrations by residential end-users from one service provider to another.'

Currently ISPs issue MACs on a voluntary basis, resulting in problems for a minority of users when trying to switch provider or move house. Ofcom's proposals would enable it to take action against recalcitrant ISPs.

The regulator has also proposed a system for allowing third parties to issue MACs where an ISP has gone out of business or suffers system failure. While giving tentative approval, the industry said that this must be tightly regulated to avoid the possibility of abuse.