Oftel has today issued more guff about local loop unbundling (LLU) in Britain.

In its latest draft diktat on shared access, the winged watchdog claims operators will be given the option as to whether or not they wish to provide voice calls over ADSL.

With me so far?

Okay, here's David Edmonds, DG of Oftel, to explain what it will mean.

"Allowing two operators to provide different services over one telephone line means customers can choose to keep their existing company for voice calls and buy high-speed services from a competitor.

"Shared access will also make it easier for competitors to enter the market, as it allows companies to offer DSL services without voice telephony.

"This will increase choice for consumers, and is why Oftel has welcomed the inclusion of shared access in the European Commission's proposed regulation on local loop unbundling."

Thanks David.

Oh, and Oftel also published a load of techie stuff too.

The consultation document Access to bandwidth: shared access can be found on Oftel's website. ®