Clive Selley, Openreach CEO, on Ofcom Equinox 2 decision, full fibre build, job cuts, AltNets, & AI

24-May-23: Hot off the press, Clive and I share our reactions to Ofcom giving the green light to Openreach’s Equinox 2 discount scheme. Clive updates on Openreach’s target to build full fibre to 25 million premises by December 2026, and explains that the build will continue beyond 25 million after the target is reached. We talk about rural full fibre, the AltNets, the challenge of overbuild, and why Openreach is still offering asymmetric full fibre broadband when the AltNets typically offer symmetric, and so much faster upload speeds. We cover the 40,000-55,000 job cuts that BT announced recently, and then move onto AI, the PSTN switch-off, and sustainability. Finally, I ask Clive what his biggest challenge is as Openreach’s CEO in 2023. Chapters 00:00 Reaction to Ofcom Equinox 2 decision 01:38 Full fibre build inc. rural 06:46 The AltNets & overbuild 09:45 Symmetric vs asymmetric + faster full fibre speeds 11:35 BT job cuts 14:07 AI in Openreach 17:56 PSTN switch off 21:48 Sustainability, EVs, & reducing carbon footprint 28:06 Biggest challenge in 2023