WLR IWG – 08/07/03
WLR Implementation Working Group
Notes of Meeting no 7: 8 July 2003
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Introduction and apologies
Attendees
Steve Unger (chair) (SU)
Gavin Daykin (GD)
Leigh Carter (LC)
Trevor Benjamin (TB)
Tony Smith (TS)
Tim Howson (TH)
Nancy Cox (NC)
Adrian Taylor (AT)
Oftel
Oftel
Indep (Oftel)
BTW
BTW
BTW
Kingston
NTL
Claire Robinson (CR)
Andrew Monk (AM)
Huib Coopmans
Rickard Granberg (RG)
Reg Taylor (RT)
Martin Romer (MR)
Chris Garbett (CG)
Centrica
Opal
MCI
Your Comms
Energis
Telco
C&W
Apologies
Gareth Jones (Pearson/NTL)
2
Agenda, Minutes of last meeting, Actions
2.1.
SU asked if there were any additions to the agenda, read out the agenda items,
and the agenda as tabled was agreed.
2.2.
The minutes of the last meeting (25 June 2003) were approved.
2.3.
The actions as recorded in the minutes of the last meeting were reviewed.
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Action 6.1: All to do gap analysis between Oftel Statement and BT Product
Spec and Implementation Plan. To be discussed at this meeting in a later
item, see Section 6, Action 6.1 superseded by Action 7.9.
Action 6.2: GD to circulate BT slides and spreadsheet on Implementation
Plan & Milestones. Done.
Action 6.3: CR and MR to circulate LC’s CLI Validation workshop note to CPS
Commercial Group & Process Group, and FSPA (via Andrew Pickup). Done.
3
WLR2 Issues Log (030704 wlr2 issues log v2.1.xls)
3.1.
LC gave an introduction to the Issues Log, which had been distributed but not
formally discussed at the most recent IWG meetings. The Issues Log has been
restructured into Specification Issues and Implementation Issues. The current
focus is on resolving and closing Specification Issues in order to tie down a clear
and agreed implementation. Implementation Issues are also being resolved and
closed but new ones are appearing, principally as a result of the work of the
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Process Working group, and generally are expected to remain ‘live’ longer into
the programme.
3.2.
SU reinforced that the Issues Log is an important formal tool for tracking the
progress and resolution of issues. There isn’t time (and it isn’t appropriate in any
case) to review all issues at IWG meetings where only a selection of issues are
highlighted for discussion. The Issues List is reviewed in more detail at the
Process Working group meetings, but it is important for everyone to review the
list separately and to raise any concerns or questions with Oftel.
3.3.
SU referred to the three Specification Issues which are pending a cost benefit
analysis (CBA) by Oftel: Analogue DDI, Out of Area Lines, Bypass Number.
Oftel has now received cost information from BT, and had previously received
volume information from BT. SU reminded SPs to submit any specific
information about demand for these services. The next step is for Oftel (SU) to
produce a paper with the results of the CBA (Action 7.1). Because this may
propose changes to the Oftel Statement, it will need to be agreed at the next SPF
(Mon 4 Aug). The paper will be shared with the IWG prior to the next SPF.
3.4.
SU provided an update on FeatureLine & FeatureNet. He would also be
submitting a paper to the SPF on 4 Aug (Action 7.2) with a proposed way
forward. Following the Schema work and presentation, SU had already been in
discussion with individual companies and with FSPA.
3.5.
Priority Service. Although BT has been thinking about the process might work,
TB recognised that BT was still gathering info about the nature of the service and
what Wholesale does for Retail and would provide the info as soon as possible,
at the latest by the next IWG (Action 7.3) on 22 July.
3.6.
Real Time Appointment for New Provisions. In view of the very high costs of an
automated process, BT is proposing a manual process but is still working on
details of the functionality. This is required as soon as possible in order to
assess whether it will be fit for purpose and to confirm the implementation. BT to
indicate asap when the functionality details will be shared (Action 7.4).
3.7.
Use of 8xxx Codes for Route 15x & Route to Credit Control. The position
remains that there is concern about sufficient 8xxx capacity to cater for all SPs
(who will all require at least one code) in the long term. BT is still looking at
options (three in particular) to replace 8xxx codes if/when appropriate. BT to
provide update at the next IWG (Action 7.5) on 22 July.
3.8.
The rest of the Issues List would be covered in more detail at the Process
Working Group meeting after this meeting.
4.
Forecasting/Rationing
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4.1.
LC presented his paper ‘030701 notes on forecasting & rationing.doc’ which had
been previously distributed and which recorded the results of his extensive
analysis of the issues and options surrounding the equations to control
forecasting and rationing.
4.2.
LC indicated that Oftel had met with BT on 7 July to consider and confirm
proposals for further exception conditions, such as SPs submitting no forecast, or
delivering actuals equal to zero, etc. LC said that these would be replayed at the
Process Working Group meeting after this meeting, and that once they had been
agreed LC would re-issue his memo with all the updates (Action 7.6).
4.3.
The main conclusion of LC’s analysis was that Oftel proposes to stick to the
same set of equations as proposed in the Oftel Statement, however a number of
parameters will be introduced into the equations to provide more fine control over
their incentive properties as a function of experience acquired during actual
operation. The value of these parameters will be changeable without a new
software release, and the initial values for these parameters will be proposed
now and re-confirmed later in the implementation programme.
4.4.
There were no objections to this proposal and so the meeting formally approved
it. AT noted that the wider SPF forum should be notified of the conclusions, LC
agreed and said that the updated document would be circulated to all parties.
4.5.
MR asked about the current activity within the CPS Forum to seek to change the
current CPS forecasting regime and align it with the future WLR2 regime. Oftel
clarified that LC’s updated document on the WLR2 forecasting regime (see
above) would be circulated to the CPS Forum and would be the basis for CPS realignment. However, it was up to the CPS Forum to establish its own activity and
timetable and to resolve its own issues (including BT cost recovery) for this to
happen.
4.6.
SU reminded the meeting that there had been legitimate interest in getting the
Forecasting and Rationing equations right, but that they could not be perfect for
all scenarios, and that the whole regime continued to depend on the essential
assumption that there was sufficient SPG capacity for there to be at most a very
infrequent need to resort to rationing.
4.7.
SU informed the meeting that the update by Schema of the total industry WLR
forecasts was not yet complete and the aim was to present the results at the next
IWG on 22 July (Action 7.7).
5
Phased Implementation of New CPS #Setup Order
5.1.
LC presented his paper ‘030625 notes on new cps order.doc’ which was
circulated at the meeting. GD took an action (Action 7.8) to circulate
electronically after the meeting.
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5.2.
The paper was about the new CPS #Setup order, with consumer protection
disabled. The WLR2 process design specified that this order would be used
both during the initial line transfer in a WLR+CPS scenario, and in any
subsequent CPS configuration change after the completion of the transfer.
5.3.
This paper recorded BT’s request that for Phase B WLR2 (March 2004) the new
CPS #Setup order would only be used in the line transfer process, but that the
current ordinary CPS Setup order (with consumer protection still enabled) would
continue to be used after the completion of the transfer. The full implementation
of the new CPS #Setup order would then follow in a later WLR release.
5.4.
The meeting reviewed these points and approved this phased implementation.
BT confirmed that the full implementation would be delivered in Phase C WLR2
(August 2004).
6
Review of BT’s WLR2 Product Specification
6.1
At the last IWG meeting (25 June), BT had said that its revised WLR2 Product
Specification would be re-issued very soon. BT confirmed today that this would
now be at the end of next week, ie Fri 18 July. Several SPs formally noted their
concern about this delay as they considered the review of this specification to be
of immediate importance.
6.2
The meeting agreed that a dedicated workshop should be setup to review the
Specification and that SPs needed about a week to review it (once issued) before
the workshop takes place. The following was agreed (combined Action 7.9):
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BT to issue revised Product Specification asap and no later than Fri 18 July.
SPs who have comments on the current Product Specification to provide
them to BT as these can only help improve the revised Specification.
Oftel to organise the workshop for Fri 25 July, venue & time to be confirmed,
but starting in the morning and scheduled to potentially last all day.
All to conduct ‘gap analysis’ (with Oftel Statement) in parallel with review of
the Product Specification (this supersedes former Action 6.1).
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Next Steps, Future Meetings
7.1
A Process Working Group meeting will take place next Tue 15 July at 10.30.
7.2
On the following Tue 22 July, there will be an IWG meeting at 10.30 followed by
a Process Working Group meeting.
7.3
A workshop to review the BT Product Specification will take place on Fri 25 July.
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AOB
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8.1
SU indicated that Oftel was still aiming to publish the Market Reviews by around
Fri 25 July. These would include a statement about ISDN. SU indicated that
Oftel was having on-going discussions with BT about this, and eg BT has been
talking about excluding legacy variants of ISDN30. SU asked SPs to provide
feedback on the ISDN30 trials (Action 7.10).
8.2
SU indicated that he had attended a FSPA meeting on 3 July and, in recognition
of the future convergence of the existing WLR1 and the planned WLR2, Oftel will
continue to meet/listen to FSPA on a regular basis.
8.3
With respect to the programme plan to produce a number of specification
documents in a relatively short timescale, TB expressed his concern about
sufficient engagement of resources and visibility of the activities that would take
us from the current status to the required endpoints. This was echoed by some
SPs who highlighted the need to have the specifications early in order for their
own implementations to be able to start and complete on time for either WLR2
trials or WLR2 per se. LC indicated that more detailed planning of documents
would be covered at the Process Working Group meeting after this meeting.
Action Points
SU to produce cost benefit analysis paper on Analogue DDI, Out of Area Lines,
Bypass Number for next SPF (4 Aug 2003).
7.2
SU to produce paper on FeatureLine/Net for next SPF (4 Aug 2003).
7.3
BT to provide info on Priority Service asap at latest by next IWG (22 July).
7.4
BT to indicate asap when it will provide info on Real Time Appointment for New
Provisions.
7.5
BT to provide update by next IWG (22 July) on alternative options to using 8xxx
codes for Route 15x and Route to Credit Control.
7.6
LC to re-issue updated Forecasting & Rationing document to all parties.
7.7
SU to arrange revised Schema WLR Forecasts presentation for IWG on 22 July.
7.8
GD to circulate electronic version of ‘030625 notes on new cps order.doc’.
7.9
All who have comments on current Product Specification to give to BT.
BT to issue revised Product Specification asap & no later than Fri 18 July.
Oftel to organise 1-day workshop on Fri 25 July to review Specification.
All to conduct gap analysis with Oftel Statement as part of review of Specification.
7.10 SPs to provide feedback on ISDN30 trials.
7.1
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