BT’s 21CN next-generation network is an advanced communications network for the future. It is designed to empower the end-user with control, choice and flexibility like never before – offering communications from anywhere to any device.

It’s an ambitious, exciting and radical programme. It will enable a new generation of content-rich, personalised services, transforming people’s personal and business lives.

But it will also have a significant impact on you and your own customers.

That’s why BT Wholesale recently organised a 21CN migration webinar which was designed to help Communications Providers to understand the implications of the 21CN programme.


MIGRATION RESPONSIBILITES

The centre-piece of the webinar was a presentation which highlighted the key changes to the network and the migration methodology. The presentation also provided some insights about the communications requirements, and, importantly, the responsibilities of Communications Providers towards their end-users, end customers, SME and corporate customers and resellers.

There’s no doubt that the migration to a next-generation network, including  the parallel development of a new product portfolio which will emulate defined products and services onto 21CN, is no minor task. All customer lines (that’s 30 million PSTN lines and more than eight million broadband lines) will be migrated onto this new converged network. Every line in the country will be migrated, and when the migration process is in full swing, some 150,000 lines will be switched across every week.

It also means that every line across the country will experience an outage during and in the lead up to actual migration. As an industry, we have to be able to manage expectations. We have to plan for minimum disruption and create a positive customer experience.


THOROUGH TESTING

Before any work started on the network, BT ran thousands of tests. We tested products, processes and CPE to ensure that migration goes smoothly. We have incorporated feedback from communications providers into the testing criteria.

Test results are posted on the ‘switched on’ website (www.switchedonuk.org). This is an advice portal on 21CN aimed at consumers. Communications Providers can obtain more detailed information by accessing the 21CN testing database via secure log-on.


CONSULTATION PROCESS

BT’s approach to the whole migration can be summarised in a single word – consultation. Every step of the way there has been consultation and we consult, trial, test and review at every stage of the roll out.

BT also consults on the communications tools required by Communications Providers in order to help them manage their end users through the migration process.

So, here’s an important question. Have you, as a Communications Provider, fully reviewed your processes and procedures to ensure that you are ready and able to communicate to your customers?

Don’t despair if the answer is ‘no’. You should be aware that there is a vast amount of information available so that Communications Providers and their end users are fully prepared for 21CN.

• A Transfer Engineering (TE) matrix provides you with the specifics and minute detail on the ‘what’. (LINK)
• The Communications Providers’ tool kit is avaialble to help you provide the ‘how’, the ‘what’ and the ‘when’ in language that is understood by end-users.

All of this information can be found on BT’s 21CN website. If you need any further help then please contact your account manager. A presentation based on the webcast replay can be downloaded from the link on the right hand side.