ISPs to meet Ofcom over BT broadband price hikes

ZD Net reports:

BT’s shock decision to raise some business broadband prices has provoked growing concerns amongst ISPs, who will meet with Ofcom this Friday to discuss the issue.

The UK’s Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) is wading into the row over BT’s decision to raise the cost of some of its wholesale business broadband packages by as much as 30 percent.

Several of ISPA’s members are understood to be furious about the price rises, which affect BT’s IPStream Office and S range. ISPA has now begun consulting with its members to gauge the feeling of the whole UK Internet industry.

It is thought that BT has made these price rises in advance of an Ofcom ruling of unfair broadband pricing by the telco.

The regulator is expected to rule later this summer that IPStream products have been too cheap relative to Datastream — a separate product that rival operators can use to compete with BT Wholesale to offer their own alternative broadband products.