英国通信监管机构 Ofcom 已经否决了 Openreach 提出的优惠方案——该方案旨在鼓励互联网服务提供商（ISPs）将更多新客户接入 Openreach 的光纤网络。Ofcom 警告称，其他竞争对手可能无法承受这样的价格压力，也无法在提供相应服务的同时收回成本。这项名为“Incremental New to Openreach Customer Offer”的优惠计划是多项价格调整措施之一，原定于 10 月 1 日生效。
Ofcom has blocked an Openreach discount for bringing customers onto its fiber network, warning that rivals might be unable to match the price and recover their costs. The "Incremental New to Openreach Customer Offer" was one of several pricing changes due to take effect on October 1. It is the first Openreach commercial offer the regulator has rejected; the others can proceed. Openreach, BT's functionally separate network division and Britain's largest fixed-line infrastructure provider, notified Ofcom of the pricing plans in June.
这是 Ofcom 首次拒绝 Openreach 的商业定价提案；其他提案仍可继续执行。Openreach 是英国最大的固定电话基础设施提供商，其网络业务与 BT 是完全独立的子公司。Openreach 于 6 月向 Ofcom 提交了这些定价计划。
The rejected offer would have rewarded internet service providers (ISPs) for connecting more new fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) customers to Openreach than an agreed baseline.
Ofcom 在 7 月初步决定禁止该优惠方案的实施，并征求了业界意见，现在已正式确认这一决定。监管机构认为，该优惠方案“不公平且不合理”，因为其他高效运作的竞争对手可能无法在收回成本的同时维持自身的竞争力。Ofcom 特别关注那些需要吸引客户以与 Openreach 竞争的第三方网络运营商（altnets）。Openreach 提议的优惠内容包括：为每新增一名客户提供 35 英镑的连接费用折扣，以及长达 30 个月的每月费用减免（最高减免金额为 9.50 英镑），但这一优惠仅适用于那些新增客户数量超过 ISPs 平均水平的用户。
Ofcom provisionally decided to block the offer in July and consulted the industry. It has now made that decision permanent. The watchdog concluded that the charges were "not fair and reasonable" because a reasonably efficient rival might be unable to match them while recovering its costs. It was particularly concerned about alternative network operators, or altnets, which need to attract customers to grow and compete with Openreach. Openreach proposed a £35 connection discount and a monthly reduction of up to £9.50 for as long as 30 months, applying only to customers above each ISP's normal level of new Openreach signups.
Ofcom 认为，这种大规模的优惠措施可能会阻碍第三方网络运营商拓展客户基础。不过，Ofcom 同意 Openreach 提出的其他优惠方案继续执行，例如：对于在 Virgin Media 或 O2 服务区域内新增的客户，将一次性返还 50 英镑的连接费用。尽管这些第三方网络运营商也在部分相同的服务区域内运营，但 Ofcom 认为较小的折扣幅度不会对市场竞争造成长期影响，因此认为这种优惠措施并不构成歧视行为。
Ofcom said the scale and targeting of the discount could impede altnets' efforts to build their customer bases. Ofcom allowed Openreach's other proposed discounts to proceed. These include a one-off £50 rebate for connections above an ISP's usual number of new Openreach customers in areas served by Virgin Media O2. Altnets also operate in some of those areas, but Ofcom judged the smaller discount unlikely to harm long-term competition. It said the offer's geographical targeting therefore did not amount to undue discrimination.
另一项优惠方案规定，当通信服务提供商的以太网新增需求超过其历史平均水平的90%时，可获得免费连接。英国通信管理局（Ofcom）认为，其设定的条件不会阻碍竞争对手网络的使用，且相关定价并未引发需要进一步调查的“表面担忧”。此前，Ofcom曾拒绝干预Openreach的折扣计划（包括Equinox和Equinox 2），这些计划旨在鼓励互联网服务提供商（ISP）将客户从铜缆网络迁移至光纤到户（FTTP）网络。
Another offer gives communications providers a free connection when net new Ethernet demand exceeds 90 percent of their historical run rate. Ofcom concluded its conditions would not impede the use of rival networks and the pricing raised no "prima facie concerns" requiring further investigation. Ofcom previously declined to intervene in Openreach discount schemes including Equinox and Equinox 2, which were intended to encourage ISPs to migrate customers from copper to FTTP.
各方对Ofcom的决定反应不一。批发光纤运营商nexfibre称此举是保护英国市场竞争的积极一步，但表示监管机构本可以采取更进一步的措施。nexfibre在一份声明中表示：“在竞争尚处于萌芽阶段时，Openreach通过特别优惠逐步推行价格变动的策略必须停止。确保替代网络拥有投资、增长和实现规模化的激励机制，对于建立可信且可持续的竞争至关重要。”
Reaction to Ofcom's decision was mixed. Wholesale fiber operator nexfibre called it a positive step toward protecting competition in the UK market, but said the regulator could have gone further. "Openreach's tactic of drip-feeding price changes via special offers needs to stop at a time when competition remains nascent. Ensuring alternative networks have the incentives to invest, grow and achieve scale will be critical to creating credible, sustainable competition," nexfibre said in a statement.
尽管Ofcom允许了针对特定地理区域的优惠方案，但维珍媒体O2（Virgin Media O2）也对此次干预表示欢迎。一位发言人告诉我们：“尽管我们认为监管机构本可以做得更多，但我们欢迎Ofcom采取行动，限制Openreach最具侵略性的优惠方案。展望未来，随着实质性批发竞争的出现，全面遏制这家占据主导地位的在位运营商的行为至关重要。”
Virgin Media O2 also welcomed the intervention, despite Ofcom allowing the geographically targeted offer aimed at areas where it operates. "Although we believe the regulator could have gone further, we welcome Ofcom's move to clip Openreach's wings on its most aggressive offer and looking ahead it is crucial the dominant incumbent's behaviour is fully kept in check as meaningful wholesale competition emerges," a spokesperson told us.
Openreach对这一裁决表现得泰然自若。Openreach商业董事总经理詹姆斯·洛瑟（James Lowther）表示：“Ofcom决定不批准我们针对Openreach新增FTTP业务的优惠方案，这与其咨询立场一致。我们提出这一方案是出于好意，旨在帮助我们的客户进行竞争并为家庭提供更好的价值。虽然我们仍然认为该方案将使客户和竞争受益，但我们将仔细审查这一决定，并继续与Ofcom及我们的客户进行建设性接触。”
Openreach appeared sanguine about the ruling. "Ofcom's decision not to approve our incremental FTTP new to Openreach offer is in line with their consultation position. We put this offer forward in good faith to help our customers compete and deliver better value for households," said James Lowther, Openreach managing director for commercial. "While we continue to believe the offer would have benefited customers and competition, we'll review the decision carefully and continue to engage constructively with Ofcom and our customers." ®