Original article ISPreview UK:Read More
Network access provider Openreach (BT) has notified UK broadband ISPs of a 9-month delay to the planned launch of their new Ethernet Access Direct (EAD) v2.0 product for businesses, which appears to have been prompted by Ofcom’s current Telecoms Access Review 2026 (TAR). The move means that EAD 2 won’t become available until the end of 2026.
The EAD product is one of the operator’s most familiar Ethernet services and provides point-to-point data connectivity between sites (leased line). The service can be used to build and extend customer networks, develop new infrastructure, and meet network backhaul (capacity) requirements up to 10Gbps. But EAD is not a totally static product and has evolved a bit over the years, although EAD 2.0 aims to go much further.
Much as we first reported back in 2023, the EAD 2.0 product is expected to support various improvements. Some examples include new intermediary speed tiers (e.g. 2Gbps, 3Gbps), greater resilience, the ability to remotely upgrade bandwidths (assuming ISPs have the right optical kit installed) and it will seek to adopt a passive demarcation device with an inbuilt reflector (they currently use an active NTE that uses power).
Communication providers can also expect lower port costs, as well as lower space and power costs, among various other changes (summary). But provision and repair times seem unlikely to experience any radical changes, although all of this is tentative and thus still subject to some change.
Until recently we had been expecting EAD 2.0 to be launched next Spring 2026, but ISPs were this week notified of a 9-month delay – pushing it back to around December 2026. Openreach says this will give them the opportunity to further test and refine EAD 2 ready for its full launch. But the operator also blamed Ofcom’s ongoing market review, which is proposing changes to the leased line market definitions, its pricing and non-pricing remedies – these would apply from 1st April 2026.
In short, Openreach appear to be seeking some certainty before letting EAD 2.0 out into the wild, not least as Ofcom’s decisions may require new system capabilities (i.e. they’d need time to develop and test those). But this won’t impact the operator’s current plan to launch a 6-month phase 1 pilot of the new product in September 2025.
Speaking of the TAR, we didn’t see too many grumbles about EAD from rival providers, although Vodafone did talk-up the possibility of a “shrinkflation risk” with EAD 2.0 in their submission (i.e. when a product’s size / features are reduced while the price remains the same). But judging this is difficult before the final pricing is known, which may become easier once their pilot kicks off in a few short months.
“We have provided Ofcom with detailed information about how, during the course of market reviews, Openreach has altered the product offered, in effect shrinking its offer. Put simply, Openreach is currently able to charge more and deliver less,” said Vodafone, while worrying that the same accusation might befall EAD 2.0. Time will tell.