"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 10:23:21 -0000, ":::Jerry::::"
wrote:


"Andy Hall" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 23:36:08 +0000 (UTC), Frank Erskine
wrote:

On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 21:17:16 +0000, Andy Hall
wrote:

This situation is changing with local loop unbundling.

The "local loop" of course being the result of many decades of public
expenditure by the GPO/PO, which is expected to be effectively given
away to the private sector who don't want to get their hands dirty
with tasks such as planting poles in the ground, laying dirty cables
in holes in the road...

The GPO and PO are relics of the past along with other state owned
infrastructure.

BT haven't exactly rushed into providing LLU, but have rightly been
dragged into it kicking and screaming by Oftel. It's far from being
free.


And why should they give up their infrastructure (that was given to them,
but that's another issue)

That's precisely *the* issue. The investment in copper was largely
made when it was a public corporation, so it is reasonable that other
companies should have access to it for reasonable price levels.

Well that argument would hold up if it was still the GPO and not a private
company that has modernised using there own funds....


The other companies still have to provide the switching and routing
infrastructure and that is far from cheap. They also have to satisfy
the customer.


But not the expensive cable networks...

As I said, they tried to provide their own networks but the cost was to
great, now they are trying to sponge off BT via Oftel.