Tiscali complained today that BT's decision to charge ISPs which do not provide MAC numbers to departing customers was unfair.

As we reported yesterday, BT will introduce a cessation charge of £33.75 from May next year which will be issued to any ISP failing to volunteer migration authorisation codes (MAC). The number helps make the transition between providers go smoothly.

But Tiscali UK has expressed anger at the planned penalty charge.

Tiscali said "it is hard to understand and justify the new £33.75 cease charge, when it has never been levied before."

The ISP also said that it hopes Ofcom will be investigating BT's new pricing structure for its Wholesale IPstream – seen by some as a major blow to ISPs which heavily rely on Local Loop Unbundling (LLU).

A BT Broadband spokesperson said that it fully adheres to the voluntary process for submitting MAC codes to BT and that it "firmly supports Ofcom's proposals to make it mandatory."