In article , John Rumm
wrote:
On 23/07/2016 11:18, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article , alan_m
wrote:
On 22/07/2016 12:38, John Rumm wrote:

Can you imaging ordering your GPO "internet" facility, and having to
wait six months for an engineer to come out and install your GPO
branded dial up modem, which you rent from them at £4/month extra.
Oh, and you can't have it near the computer, you will need to move
that to the hall!


And not being able to even connect any modern technology* to the phone
line without themselves approving it first. Anyone want to buy an
up-to-date 14.4k modem? We will get around to approving 28.8k modems
some time in the next few years.?

Absolutely. Just like the BBC starting TV in black and white with mono
sound rather than in colour and stereo. And insisting we used tiny CRT
TVs rather than widescreen LCD. Why indeed did they ever use analogue
when everyone knows now that digital is the way to go?

So you are suggesting that our memories of GPO Telecoms must be
distorted, it was in fact a modern dynamic company with the customer's
interests first and foremost, and a keen eye on deploying cutting edge
technology as soon as it became available?

It was a company which suffered under Treasury rules. They were not
allowed to keep "profits" for investment - it all went into that great
"Central Kitty". They had very good research labs but it wsn't until they
were privatised that investment in new prodcuts went ahead..

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England