The national incumbent network operator Openreach, part of BT Group runs a lot of the network infrastructure which broadband providers use to deliver services to end users. This includes active infrastructure as well as passive infrastructure such as ducting, accessible through services such as PIA.
About a month or so ago, ISPreview ran an article reporting that Openreach was toughening up on enforcing rules around reporting by third-party network operators (e.g. altnets) when they are accessing network assets. This ensures that the culprit can be identified if a third-party caused damage to Openreach infrastructure or those of other networks using its ducts.
LightReading recently reported some interesting comments from Neos Networks, a business network operator:
During a recent messaging exchange with other PIA customers, a record of which Light Reading obtained, a Neos representative revealed his company was at 0% compliance, saying it “will never be able to meet the metrics” before joking that “fake whereabouts are the ONLY way we can achieve compliance.”
[..]
“This presents significant daily reporting for any company,” it continued. “Before this change, Neos Networks was 80% compliant with whereabouts reporting, and the company is eager to find a solution so that we can complete the reporting as quickly as possible.”
LightReading Reporting
Much of the criticism from the industry is around Openreach not being expected to follow the same standard itself, albeit it is able to track its own staff better than those of third parties, although how this actually works when using contractors (who may work for Openreach and third party-networks) is a bit unclear.
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Can it also go the other way around, if Openreach damage an Altnet network? Was told a while back that some Openreach contractor damaged some fibre that belonged to another network. Not zzoomm, as it was not here.
Took ages for it to get fixed, by all accounts.
A simple mobile app?
Should this not be mandatory for HSE risk assessment and logging assets.
Whether it is an OR employee, their contractor or an Altnet opening a box lid or climbing a pole, surely it would be simple to collect the operative, company, location, asset accessed and type of work.
Last time I saw a Kelly guy installing OR FTTP he was using an app which could easily be extended.