BT Carrier Price List
- Proposed ‘Quick Win’ Improvements
presented by Helen Edwards, Vodafone Limited
Interconnect Scope & Strategy
C3 – CONFIDENTIAL
Improving CPL Layout and Consistency
• Vodafone welcomes the recent steps BT has undertaken to improve consistency of
content in the CPL. We hope that BT will look to build upon these improvements.
• The lack of consistent format, file types (e.g. Microsoft Word & Excel)and change
control makes some of the CPL price lists very difficult to navigate, identify changes
and automate downloads.
– Those Operators who use INTEC, or an equivalent tool, must undertake substantial
workarounds to convert files into csv readable format before they can be loaded. This
causes unnecessary costs and delay in loading the data.
• Vodafone would therefore like to request a few “quick wins” which we consider are
easy to implement and would significantly address many of the issues. These are:– Reformatting of BT Non Geographic Price List B1.06
– Reformatting of DQ Price Lists B3.46 & B3.47
– Improvements to the ‘Change Report to Operator’ in B1.12.1
• The information contained in the above price lists would be easier to comprehend
and to automate downloads if presented in contiguous columns. A format similar or
the same as BT CPL 1.12.1 would work well.
• Changes would benefit all of Industry and save all Operators considerable time on a
monthly basis. This work will also be time well spent in preparation for the proposed
NGCS database.
Interconnect Scope & Strategy
C3 – CONFIDENTIAL
Three Quick Wins…
• Price List, CPL 1.06
– The format of the price list is cumbersome; pricing for individual chargebands are split amongst multiple
tables, with separate tables for PPC and PPM charges.
– Notes on charging are written freehand within the file and across multiple worksheet cells.
– The number ranges to which the charges pertain are presented in an entirely separate worksheet and are
not listed at all for BT own 08 ranges.
– This would also be a good opportunity to review some of the potential number range anomalies on B1.06.
• DQ Price Lists B3.46 (Operator DQ) & B3.47 (BT DQ)
– Identifying the relevant charges for a number range are hindered by the format of separate tables for
PPC and PPM charges. The size of B3.46 would be significantly reduced if the PPM and PPC appeared
on the same row entry.
– There is no ‘Change’ (signifying date) or ‘Reason’ (descriptor of the change) field in either B3.46 & B3.47,
as a result trying to identify recent amendments and additions to either price list is difficult.
– The BT DQ Price List (B3.47) is a Microsoft Word file, which is particularly unwieldy to navigate.
• Change Report to Operators
– Vodafone welcomes the implementation of improved change reasons and would like BT to build upon
this improvement.
– ‘The Change Report to Operators’ would be significantly enhanced if it contained the details of the new
charges and gave the relevant BT CPL reference, thus providing an effective summary of the changes.
– This information is already known in order to update the CPL. It would not require much additional effort
to replicate (copy & paste) into the report.
– The arbitrary cut off points in updates often means that change information for a particular number range
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C3 – CONFIDENTIAL
is disjointed.
Extract from BT CPL 1.06
• Charges for PRS Chargeband P34 highlight the issues with the format of BT CPL 1.06.
Table 1.6.5.1.36a shows the PPM charges
Number Ranges
listed on separate
worksheet in B1.06
Table 1.6.5.2.31 a) shows the PPC charges.
Notes relating to
the PPM charges
• P34 PPC charge info
is some 1108 rows
below the P34 PPM
info
Notes relating to the PPC charges
• The format of the price list is cumbersome; pricing for
Old Charges, which
have been struck
through
Interconnect Scope & Strategy
individual chargebands are split amongst multiple tables, with
separate tables for PPC and PPM charges.
• Notes on charging are written freehand within the file and
across multiple worksheet cells, e.g. columns C to Y.
• The number ranges to which the charges pertain are
presented in an entirely separate worksheet and are not listed
at all for BT ‘s own 08 ranges. Is the number range information
C3 – CONFIDENTIAL
up-to-date and accurate?
BT CPL 1.06 – How it could look
• CPL 1.06 and 1.06a could simply and quickly be converted to a much more user friendly
format. This would also be easier for BT to maintain going forward.
Historical Rates shown
Relevant notes for the
Chargeband are grouped
together
PPM
charges
PPC
charges
• CPL 1.06 (v. 12.5) has 131 chargebands in total,
including PNS, Nat, Local and Freefone etc.
• The above example for all P34 number ranges
and notes took less than 5 minutes to create and
format from scratch.
• We estimate that it would take around 5 hours
at most to reformat into a csv compatible format
and pull out the relevant 08 and 09 number
ranges for this Price List.
• This would save all Operators, including BT,
considerable time and effort on a monthly basis.
Interconnect Scope & Strategy
C3 – CONFIDENTIAL
Extract from BT CPL 3.47
• Identifying the relevant charges for a number
range are hindered by the format of the price
lists with separate tables for PPC and PPM
charges.
– The size of B3.46 would be significantly reduced if
the PPM and PPC appeared on the same row entry.
This Table shows the PPC charges
Page 1
• There is no ‘Change’ (signifying date) or
‘Reason’ (descriptor of the change) field in
either B3.46 & B3.47, as a result trying to
identify recent amendments and additions to
either price list can be tricky.
• The BT DQ Price List (B3.47) is a Microsoft
Word file, which is particularly frustrating for
billing teams.
Notes section
Page 9
This Table shows the PPM charges
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C3 – CONFIDENTIAL
Page 5
BT CPL 3.47 – How it could look
• CPL 3.46 and 3.47 could fairly simply and quickly be converted into Excel in a user friendly
format. This would also be easier for BT to maintain going forward.
PPM & PPC charges
Historical Rates shown
New Columns to assist in
identifying changes
• CPL 3.47 has 63 DQ chargebands in
total.
• The above example and notes took less
than 2 minutes to format.
• We estimate that it would take <= 2
hours to reformat CPL 3.47 into a csv
compatible format.
• This would save all Operators, including
BT, considerable time and effort on a
monthly basis.
Interconnect Scope & Strategy
C3 – CONFIDENTIAL
•
•
Change Report to Operators: Notifying of Changes
Operators need access to an information source where significant price changes, such as change
of chargebands can be identified quickly and easily in order to avoid loss of Margin, AIT and
arbitrage.
BT ‘s ‘Change Report to Operators’ does list changes, but does not fully meet the need as it does
not give sufficient or consistent information about the new charges nor does it provide the reference
of the relevant CPL.
-
•
BT’s implementation of additional change reasons, which identify the type of change, e.g. ‘new’, ‘change of
chargeband’ etc, is certainly a step in the right direction, but the ‘until date added’ reason code is still confusing
and seems to be used for various scenarios.
Pricing is provided for certain number ranges e.g. PNS and 0870, but not others e.g. PRS and 0845.
Currently Vodafone is having toExtract
run it’sfrom
own‘Change
bespoke
workarounds, whereby we run queries against
Report to Operator
the prior version of the CPL price lists versus the new. This is a very time-consuming exercise and
still requires manual analysis of ‘anomalies’.
What happens to the PNS no
ranges and 0845492 after 14/08?
09 pricing changed due to
retrospective acceptance of an
OCCN
Details of the old and new price are
provided for Relax Telecom.
Interconnect Scope & Strategy
C3 – CONFIDENTIAL
Change Report to Operator: Proposed Improvements
•
The Change Report to Operators’ could quite easily be improved with just a
few tweaks to provide an effective summary of all price changes. Suggested
improvements are:-
-
Current charges and new charges and /or new operator ownership for each
number range are provided on the Report. This information is already known as
part of the OCCN process. In many instances the individual CPL has also been
updated with the details.
-
BT CPL reference is provided for each relevant number range.
Change reasons are further refined and standardised, particularly with reference
to ‘Until date added’. Where services are ceased a new change reason ‘Number
cessation’ is used.
Proposed Format for ‘Change Report to
Operator
Current and New PPM and PPC
pricing provided.
DQ pricing information
consolidated.
Interconnect Scope & Strategy
C3 – CONFIDENTIAL
CPL
reference
provided.
In Summary…
•
The changes that Vodafone are proposing that BT make to the CPL are:- Reformatting of BT Non Geographic Price List B1.06
- Reformatting of DQ Price Lists B3.46 & B3.47
- Improvements to the ‘Change Report to Operator’ in B1.12.1
•
•
The changes could be quickly and cheaply implemented.
•
We hope that BT will give due consideration to the proposal and advise on next
steps.
•
Thank-you for listening!
These changes would address a significant amount of issues and frustrations
that Operators have today with the CPL.
Interconnect Scope & Strategy
C3 – CONFIDENTIAL