Most ISPs, excluding Virgin Media, use Openreach’s copper wire and fibre optic network to provide phone and broadband services to residential and business users.
When an end customer reports a fault or order a new installation with their ISP that company in turn has to book Openreach to carry out the work on their behalf.
The company has earned a reputation for being slow and unresponsive, with end users frequently taking to social media to complain of delayed or missed appointments.
In May, industry regulator Ofcom set out new rules requiring 80% of fault repairs to be completed within 2 working days and connect new installations within 12 working days.
It’s now announced that the rules will come into effect on July 1st.
Initially Openreach will only need to meet the repairs target in 70% of cases and the new line installations in 55%, with both increasing in 2016.