BT Names Unbundling Bosses

LONDON -- BT Wholesale today announced the appointment of Rob Sanders as director of Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) to work with operators across the industry and with industry regulator Ofcom to develop further BT’s WLR product and ensure that it meets industry’s requirements. The role is effective immediately.

The appointment follows the recent appointment of Tom Maguire to perform a similar industry leadership role as director of Local Loop Unbundling (LLU). These appointments combined are designed to help create an effective and vibrant voice and data communications market in the UK.

Wholesale line rental enables operators to rent the line that connects a customer’s premises with the local exchange, enabling an operator other than BT to ‘own’ the line into the customer’s premises and the option to charge customers a line rental charge directly. Local Loop Unbundling enables operators to invest and install equipment in BT’s local exchanges giving direct access to customers’ premises.

Tom Maguire, most recently director for customer switched services at BT Wholesale, was appointed director of Local Loop Unbundling recently. Tom has already built a strong liaison between the LLU Adjudicator, Ofcom, the industry and BT on all aspects of LLU.

Commenting on the appointments, Paul Reynolds, BT Wholesale chief executive said: “The effective development of local loop unbundling and wholesale line rental services and processes are central elements in the ongoing development of a competitive communications industry in the UK.

“Applying the focus of experienced, senior BT managers reflects BT’s commitment to a competitive market and will ensure that out LLU and WLR offerings are fit for purpose and compelling for industry.”

BT Group plc