About Common Wholesale Platform
Why Common Wholesale Platform?
It responds to the 12 September 2024 regulatory deadline requirements for One Touch Switching (OTS) in a timely manner. It accelerates the adoption of AltNet networks and provide its services to scale and other communication providers. It facilitates the mandatory requirement to offer wholesale to bidders of the forthcoming Project Gigabit £5bn BDUK tenders.
The benefits of Common Wholesale Platform/ Common Switching Platform
A central hub that can serve all of the UK telecom industry (or will communicate with other OTS hubs) will significantly accelerate gigabit adoption in the UK by making multiple Access Communications Provider (ACP) networks visible to contracted retail communication provider (RCP) resellers in one central location. The platform facilitates universal standard CWP reference products to scale RCP providers. These standards also facilitate the wholesale requirements needed to respond to BDUK Project Gigabit tenders.
Who are behind CWP/CSP?
Common Wholesale Platform is a collaboration of six leading altnet fibre broadband services companies; Airband, County Broadband, Glide Business, ITS Technology Group, NGE Contracting and Wight Fibre. These six companies have provided loans to CWP for it to create its platform. However, Common Wholesale Platform has been launched as a member-owned, not-for-profit organisation that has the primary purpose of providing wholesale and OTS services for the UK telecom market.
How are CWP/CSP governed?
CWP has been set up from the ground up to be a member owned, not-for-profit, limited by guarantee company. This means that as a member you will:
- Receive a copy of the company’s annual accounts;
- Attend general meetings and cast a vote;
- Elect a Board by voting at the members’ annual general meeting; and
- Vote on any significant changes to the company, its purpose, its name or how any profit is applied
Any profit made by the company will be retained as a contribution towards the cost of activities in future years. You will not, therefore, be entitled to receive any dividend or other distribution from the company, including if the company is wound up.
The CWP company’s constitution is contained in its Articles of Association and its Rules. When a new member joins, we ask him/her to accept our rules and the new member will be sent a copy for hisher reference.
As a new member you will have a vote to chose the CWP Board. The above six companies are appointed to the CWP Board, the Board is made up out of both investor members and non-investor members. At an AGM a full Board will be chosen. See the above Articles of Association and Rules for further details how htis works.
If the company is wound up, the maximum you commit to paying towards the company’s debts is £1. This is the guarantee you would make upon becoming a member, as described in the articles of association, and applies for the time you are a member and 12 months thereafter.
Memberships
