BT rings in the changes
BT Global Services has increased the prices it charges for wholesale broadband connections. From March, many schools will pay higher prices for their internet access. The impact will probably be felt most acutely by the 2600 schools in London which get their connections through London Grid for Learning (LGFL). LGFL get their access via a fixed price contract with Synetrix. The contract is up for negotiation in March and it looks inevitable that Synetrix, LGFL and finally schools will end up paying more. The problem is not just the higher prices but the underlying confusion caused by the restructure of BT’s internet business that runs through BT Global and BT Openreach. It is BT Openreach who have raised their prices and these are simply being passed down the chain. According to Openreach, they have recently restructured their portfolio of prices and, the increase across customers should be neutral’. Try telling that to schools whose budgets will be further stretched. Will this be a business opportunity for EasyNet and other providers?