Originally posted by richardmorris:
Are there other telecom companies who have equipment (in CO's and in the ground) or is it like America where most of that is still a function of the Bell/AT&T?
We have local-loop unbundling where other companies install equipment in the C.O. and the line is then jumpered across from the MDF, but the local loop from that point right out to the customer's demarcation point is under the new BT OpenReach division. OpenReach (which was only created at the beginning of last year) is supposed to provide services to both BT itself and to all other companies on an equal basis. There's also partial LLU for DSL service.
At the moment though, it's only the larger towns which have any C.O. presence of other companies. Out here in the boondocks everything is still completely BT, with any other company providing service simply sub-contracting to BT Wholesale, another fairly new division of BT.
The cable companies own their own lines outright, but again these are only to be found in the larger town and cities. The nearest to me are in Norwich (largest city in the county) and Gt. Yarmouth, both about 20 miles away.
