TOTSCO - the top level - ordering

This should give you some idea of the issues with a simple matter of providing a broadband service. Bear in mind the broadband service may have a linked telephone service - i.e. be ADSL or VSDL on a phone line, and the customer may, or may not, want that number to carry on working some how.

It used to be we could take over the broadband and leave the telephone alone, or, we could take over number and broadband as a BT line, or we could take over broadband and port the number to VoIP.

It is more complicated with the retirement of old fashioned phone service - we cannot move the line to broadband with us on a telephone line any more, we have to move to something called SOGEA or SOADSL, which is a broadband service with no telephone service on the line. So we have to offer customer choice to lose number to move to VoIP.

So lets look at some of the combinations we have to handle, and do One Touch Switching for...

1. It could be a service that is totally different, like Starlink or something - we provide new broadband and OTS co-ordinates the cease. Simple.
2. More likely, BT/Openreach broadband and BT/Openreach phone service using a BT number range number. Yes, that specific set (regardless of resellers, which may not be the same for broadband and telephone) is special as we can do an integrated port moving broadband and porting phone as one order in to BT. As you can imagine working out it is this exact combination can be tricky, and end user may not know.
3. Could be BT/Openreach broadband, and a BT/Openreach phone line, but not a BT number range number, in which case we migrate the broadband and port the number separately as we cannot do an integrated port.
4. Could be BT/Openreach broadband, and MPF phone line, in which case harder to check, and we can port the number separately as we cannot do an integrated port.
5. Could be BT/Openreach FTTP with and associated phone number which may be even VoIP, but is linked at the BT account so would die if migrating broadband. I think that has to be a separate number port, but not sure - it may allow an integrated port if a BT number range. We'll have to test that one to be sure.
6. Could be BT/Openreach broadband and BT/Openreach phone service, but the new service is FTTP, so a separate physical service. This can be coordinated to allow old broadband to be ceased but leave phone line in place, at least for now.
7. Could be BT/Openreach with no phone number associated, yay! simple migrate.
8. Could be CityFibre which won't have a phone number, yay! simple migrate.

For the OTS, somehow we have to explain the options so they can make an informed choice!

Porting the number adds an extra step too, now.

1. The OTS match for broadband using number to identify it may (or may not) come back with an option to retain/cease, or we could do the OTS with IAS and NBICS "port" request, making one "switching order" for broadband and number port, if that is offered as an option.
2. The OTS match may or may not mention a number linked to the line, depends if the reseller of the broadband knows if there is a number and what it is - the number could be a totally different reseller. But we may be able to work out the service has a BT/Openreach number based on the broadband checking in BT. If the customer knows the number we may be able to do an integrated port on the broadband. It is not impossible for neither the old broadband retailer, nor us, to know there is a number, and then that number gets zapped - so we have to ask the customer if they are sure, regardless.
3. If the broadband OTS does not have a number port on the same switch order, we'll have to do a secondary OTS for the number port, possibly with different retailer, for the same address. Then we have to manage and track two switch orders. We probably need to do that even for the integrated port option.
4. Either the broadband, or the number, or both may not be able to do an OTS check if the service is a business, or the retail provider is not on TOTSCO yet, so we have to handle that.

At the end of the day, this is a couple of extra pages of stuff to fill in on our order forms for customers now! It also adds new ways for things to go wrong.

The very small light at the end of the tunnel is the telephone number porting OTS should advise the Network Provider and the CUPID which should allow the port to go smoothly. We're looking forward to testing that!