Access Locate is an Openreach product that allows CPs to install their POP equipment in an Openreach exchange.

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line is a broadband technology that splits a standard copper telephone line into seperate voice and data channels. 

All IP is Openreach’s overarching programme to end-of-life the PSTN network and replace it with IP-based products using fibre networking.  

Altnet is a nickname for alternative network providers. These providers have their own last-mile fibre infrastructure rather than relying on Openreach. 

An Application Programmable Interface is is a set of rules or protocols that enables software applications to communicate with each other to exchange data, features and functionality.

An Access Service Node provides connectivity between end-user devices (such as homes, businesses, or mobile devices) and the core network infrastructure.

Business as usual, meaning the standard or normal operations. 

Backhaul Extension Services. A legacy Openreach product that provides a high-speed, permanently connected point-to-point data circuit available 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. Use it for a secure link between your site and an exchange, or between two exchanges as a daisy chain. It is now withdrawn and replaced with the EAD product

Backhaul Network Services. A legacy Openreach product that lets you backhaul data from outlying local loop unbundling (LLU) or mobile base station controller sites to your network. So you can deploy a backhaul network in a specific area, rather than using individual backhaul extension services (BES) circuits. This effectively means backhaul aggregation of BES circuits.

Cablelink is a Openreach product that is a  simple cable connection, which lets a  CP connect a licensed facility to their network or to non-adjacent licensed facilities within the same site. It’s used for a number of purposes including backhaul connectivity, FTTx scale build and 5G network growth.

Closed Circuit Television is the utilisation of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place; the video is viewed or recorded, but not broadcast. This monitoring method is used for surveillance and security in public places and businesess and even homes.

Critical National Infrastructure refers to the systems, facilities and networks that are vital for the functioning of a country and its economy.

Communications Provider is a generic term for an entity providing a Public Electronic Communications Service or a Public Electronic Communications Network. 

Customer Premise Equipment is an umbrella term for hardware that includes any telecommunications or IT equipment that’s physically located on a customer’s property and is connected to the telecoms network. 

Dark Fibre is an optical fibre path between two sites that is unlit and unmanaged. The Openreach Dark Fibre (DF) product provides a dedicated, unmonitored, unlit optical fibre path over an end to end radial distance and maximum route distance of up to 86km between two sites.

The Openreach Inter-exchange Dark Fibre product offers a dedicated, unmonitored, unlit optical path over an end-to-end maximum route distance of 86km between two BT Exchange sites.

Ethernet Access Direct is an Openreach product that provides a point-to-point data connection between sites. 

Ethernet Access Direct 2.0 is Openreach’s next-generation Ethernet point-to-point data service. 

Ethernet Backhaul Direct is an Openreach product that provides a point-to-point data connection from an access serving node (ASN) to defined Openreach handover points (OHPs) or between defined OHPs.

Early Termination Charge

Openreach’s decade-long programme to reduce the number of UK telephone exchanges from circa 5,600 to only c. 1,000 exchanges – Openreach Handover Points (OHPs) – needed to support an All IP product portfolio. 

An Exchange Stop Sell notice is a warning that Openreach will no longer allow the ordering, change or upgrade of copper-based products at that particular exchange after a fixed 12-month period.

Flexible Co-Mingling is an Openreach product that lets you have a point of presence (PoP) for local loop unbundling (LLU) equipment at a main distribution frame (MDF) site.

Fibre to the Cabinet is an Openreach broadband product where fibre optic cable connects the exchange to the cabinet in the street, and traditional copper cable continues the connection from there to the premise.

Fibre to the Premise is an Openreach product that connects the exchange to the premise by only using fibre. 

In exchanges where Openreach has built >75% coverage, any premise that has access to FTTP can only purchase FTTP if a new service is required or changes to existing copper services or CP is required, this must be done by migrating to FTTP. 

Internet Protocol voice is often known by the acronym VoIP (or Voice over IP).  Phone calls are converted to data and sent across the Internet (or another data network) to its destination where it is converted back to an analog signal so you can hear it through the handset.

An Internet Service Provider is a company that provides access to the Internet and Internet-based services.

Keep the Customer Informed 3 is a milestone in the Openreach process. KCI3 is when the order has been complered. 

A Leaded Line is a dedicated data connection between two points, for example between an office and a data centre. 

Left in Jumper refers to where the jumper wire pair at the Main Distribution Frame (MDF) is left in place, instead of having to be removed.

In early 2001, Ofcom passed legislation forcing BT to open up its last mile copper infrastructure to competitors. LLU (Local Loop Unbundling) allows third party CPs direct access to local telephone exchanges in order to install their own equipment and deliver fibre and copper  services directly to their customers in the local area (the last mile).

Megabits per second

The Main Distribution Frame is a termination point within the local telephone exchange where exchange equipment and terminations of local loops are connected by jumper wires at the MDF. 

Multiple Dwelling Unit are individual residential living units comprising of multiple housing facilities such as apartment buildings or flats. 

The movement of a circuit from one location to another which could be the same product provided from a different exchange or in the case of non-strategic products will be a different product served from a different location. 

Managed network services are networking applications, functions and services that organisations outsource to be remotely operated, monitored and maintained by a managed service provider (MSP).

Metallic Path Facility is an Openreach product that provides a two-wire copper path from the network termination equipment (NTE) at a customer’s premise to the exchange. It’s also called a “fully unbundled loop” or “classic local loop unbundling”.

Managed Service Providers deliver managed network services to organisations. 

A Network Aggregator has interconnects with multiple CPs. These interconnects give them “layer 2” access to the CP’s network, with bandwidth passing over the aggregator’s network. An aggregator does not have any physical kit in exchanges.

Network functions virtualisation is the replacement of network appliance hardware with virtual machines.

Premises at which Openreach FTTP or SOGEA > 30Mbps is not available. 

Network Termination Equipment is the copper termination point within the end user’s premises.  The master socket marks the demarcation point between the Openreach network and the end user’s home network with respect to voice wiring.

Ofcom is the UK regulator for the communications services 

Openreach Handover Points are the designated exchange locations where fibre broadband and ethernet services are interconnected with other CPs. There are around 1000 OHPs which will endure following the Exchange Exit programme. 

Openreach Handover Point migration from an exit exchange to a long-term exchange.

Openreach Network Backhaul Services is an  Open-reach product that provides Ethernet services for point-to-point (P2P) circuits. The product has been withdrawn.

Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) termination points are known as ONTs (Optical Network Termination).

Abbreviation for Openreach, a wholly owned subsidiary of BT Group, that operates UK telecommunications infrastructure. 

Optical Spectrum Extended Access is an Openreach product that provides a dedicated fibre connection between two sites.

The OTA2 is an independent regulator of the communications industry. They facilitate the implementation of processes to enable a wider range of CPs and End Users to benefit from he rollout and performance of Openreach products and services.  The OTA2 will also be able to bring all parties together to find prompt mediated resolution of working-level implementation issues.

Planned Engineering Works is a known programme of network engineering work.

Physical Infrastructure Access is an Openreach product that shares the existing Openreach duct and pole infrastructure to allow a CP to provide network services (as set out in Ofcom’s statement in June 2019).

Point of Presence refers to a physical location or access point that connects users to a network.

Public Switched Telephone Network is the legacy switched-circuit telephone system used for voice-oriented communications. The PSTN network is being replaced by an All IP network and BT Group has announced the current PSTN switch-off date as 31 January 2027.

To get diversity between two circuits, they must be ordered as a dual-circuit package, referred to by Openreach as Resilient Option 2 (RO2).

Software-Defined Networking is an approach to networking that uses software-based controllers or application programming interfaces (APIs) to communicate with underlying hardware infrastructure and direct traffic on a network.

Single Fibre Network is Openreach’s approach to create a common single fibre infrastructure bringing together FTTP and EAD and all its other disparate edge networks/access technologies into a common network.

Systems Integrator is an entity that builds computing systems for clients by combining hardware, software, networking and storage products from multiple vendors.

A Service Level Agreement outlines a commitment between a service provider and a client, including details of the service, the standards the provider must adhere to, and the metrics to measure the performance. 

Service Level Guarantees (SLGs) specify the level of compensation that the customer would be entitled to should the service not be provided at the quality specified in the SLA.

Sub Loop Unbundling is an Openreach product that provides a two-wire point-to-point (P2P) metallic transmission path. It uses copper wire tie cables to connect a customer’s premise and a CP’s SLU equipment.

Shared Metallic Path Facility is an Openreach product that lets a CP ffer broadband services over copper cables even if another provider is handling that customer’s phone calls. It’s also called “line sharing” or “shared access to the local loop”.

SMPF gives you a two-wire path from the NTE at your customer’s home or business to the exchange, where it terminates at either a main distribution frame or jumper frame.

Single Order Generic Access is an Openreach product that provides a standalone hybrid fibre broadband line (VDSL or Gfast), without the voice service. It uses the same technology as FTTC.

Single Order Generic Fast is an Openreach product that provides a standalone hybrid fibre broadband line (VDSL or Gfast), without the voice service. SOGFast is a faster version of SOGEA with speeds of up to 330Mbps.

Single Order Transitional Product is an Openreach product which delivers a copper path between network terminating equipment (NTE) at your customers’ premises and a main distribution or jumper frame at the exchange. SOTAP can be used to provide broadband and internet protocol (IP) phone services.  SOTAP is available to help Openreach withdraw Wholesale Line Rental (WLR). It will only be for areas where there aren’t any fibre products available.

The Broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) is a legal obligation imposed on BT Plc by Ofcom which launched on 20 March 2020. As the designated Universal Service Provider for the UK excluding Hull, BT is obliged to provide a minimum broadband service of 10Mbps to those who request if certain conditions are met.

A Value-Added Reseller resells networking and other products to deliver a solution to customers. 

The Virtual Headend relies on a combination of Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) to allow the software deployment and management of services making it simpler and faster to deliver. 

Wave Division Multiplex is a fibre-optic transmission technique that enables the use of multiple light wavelengths (or colours) to send data over the same medium.

Wholesale Extension Services is an withdrawn Openreach product that provides a connection between a CP’s network and an end customer. The CP can use their network to connect a circuit to the far end or far edge of their network, and then use another WES to complete the end-to-end circuit.

Wholesale End-to-End Services is a withdrawn Openreach product that provides end-customer-to-end-customer version of WES.

Wholesale Line Rental 3 is an Openreach product that connects the Openreach network to terminating equipment at a CP’s customer’s site. It supports incoming and outgoing public switched telephone network (PSTN) calls, including those routed through the BT network, carrier pre-select (CPS) or indirect access (IA). 

BT Group has announced that the PSTN will be closed down by 31 January 2027. As Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) relies on the PSTN, Openreach will no longer offer or support WLR products and it announced a stop selling for new WLR across the UK on 5 September 2023.  This includes the following Openreach products: WLR3 analogue, WLR3 ISDN2, WLR3 ISDN30,  LLU SMPF, SLU SMPF,  Narrowband Line Share and Classic.