Why use Opal?

The Opal story

A new approach in telecoms services

Formed in 1995, Opal is one of the UK's largest telecoms network operators and is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Carphone Warehouse Group plc. From the outset, Opal focused on developing advanced telecom services software, with products built for the 'intelligent network', such as interactive voice response, billing and Internet computer platforms.

With headquarters in Warrington and divisions in Manchester, London, the West Midlands, Glasgow, Belfast, Leeds, Portsmouth and High Wycombe, we offer voice and mobile services primarily to the UK corporate and SME (small and medium sized enterprises) market.

We believe in leading from the front

• First UK carrier to offer a network-based Telephone Preference Service (TPS) screening service
• First to host a network-based bulk call recording product
• One of the first operators to allow customers to change/modify their non-geographic services using a secure web-based interface. Certainly the only mainstream operator that made these changes available free to all its customers
• Opal generates the largest volume of Carrier Pre-Select (CPS) transactions (i.e. Opal customers make the highest volume of calls of any service outside BT)
• Operator with the largest number of interconnects with BT
• First to offer a network hosted predictive dialler on a pay-as-you-go basis
• Opal supplies and maintains the network infrastructure and services that support the TalkTalk - the landline company from the Carphone Warehouse. TalkTalk now has over 2.6 million subscribers as it challenges BT for market placing. TalkTalk utilises the surplus network capacity within the Opal business network, therefore maximising efficiencies and circuit utilisation, and thus reducing overall cost which can be passed onto customers  
• Opal launched its Carrier Pre-Select (CPS) service in April 2001. This allows calls to be routed automatically to the Opal network without the need for entering special codes or use of an adapter. Opal makes extensive use of BT's CPS facility which, combined with the electronic systems designed by Opal, enables customers to use the Opal network with minimal process. Since the launch of CPS, Opal has gained 25% market share, and is responsible for 34% of all new connections. These figures show Opal's strength in the CPS marketplace

Timeline

• 1995 - Opal Telecommunications starts to trade in Manchester as a new player in the growing business communications market
• 1997 - Joint venture between Opal & Martin Dawes B.S. (Core Telecom)
• 1998 - First Nokia switch installed in Manchester
• 1999 - Full PTO license granted
• Dec 1999 - Full merger of Opal and Martin Dawes B.S. Opal Telecom PLC formed
• Nov 2001 - Opal buys Atlantic Telecom business base
• Nov 2002 - Carphone Warehouse Group acquires Opal for £65m
• 2003 - Opal reaches Northern Ireland and Scotland
• Mar 2003 - Opal Telecom Ltd
• Dec 2003 - Opal acquires Open Air
• 2004 - Opal awarded Queen's Award For Enterprise
• May 2004 - Opal acquires Telequip
• Oct 2004 - Opal acquires Ecocall
• 2005 - 1 billion minutes now run through Opal lines
• Dec 2005 - Opal and Carphone Warehouse
  acquire OneTel and Tele2
• April 2006 - Opal acquire Norcom
• May 2006 - Opal acquire Totem Communications
• 2006 - 2 Billion minutes run through Opal lines