DSL users, how to escape the BT line?

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Apr 21, 2006 Posts: 5

If I cannot get broadband service without requiring voice service from BT, then BT still have a monopoly.
And why would it be this way if I can get voice service across this same physical line from another company and pay BT nothing?

The way I see the line coming into my house is much the same as a gas mains that was built by British Gas - I don't believe the company that owned that pipe has to be paid for me to get service from numerous providers?

Being a mere end consumer, I cannot comment on BT wholesale as I'm not privalidged with information on the costs/pricing involved, perhaps Kerry would have further comment here?

My whole feeling on BT's market position is that a government body should own the physical line so that BT can't hold it to ransom.

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 15, 2006 Posts: 8

I don’t; agree that there is a BT monopoly. In the vast majority of the UK you can get broadband service without requiring service from BT. Depending on where you live you can get broadband service over the BT line, but without paying money to BT from people such as Bulldog, or Talk Talk, over a cable network from NTL/Telewest and over a variety of wireless networks.

As to your point about ownership of the physical line, this is run by a division of BT called Openreach. This division has some quite strict and closely monitored guarantees of independence and provides services to BT retail in an equivalent manner to any other operator which wants to access the network. It is not quite the independence of ownership as you want but it is intended to have the same effect. However, I think a lot of people would share your view that this is not enough and that actual structural separation is the only way to guarantee fair behaviour by BT.

Nevertheless, even if this were to happen, I still doubt that anyone would be willing to offer naked DSL unless end-users are willing to pay a lot more for broadband than they are today. I think it is likely that we will continue to see bundled voice and data offers for a while yet. I still don’t see this as an abuse of market power.

I also would like to hear Kerry’s view.

Michael