英国电信的发展历史与影响

BritishTelecomms:StillBritishTelecom’s?TheHistoricalandOn-GoingBusinessPracticesoftheUK’sFormerTelecommunicationsMonopolyUniversityofMarylandTLMN602Professor:Dr.MichaelShoukatAuthor:JohnSchellMiltonKeynes,EnglandApril28,2001BritishTelecomms:StillBritishTelecom’s?TLMN602(0102)JohnSchellOutlineI.ABriefHistoryofUKTelecommsA.Previoustothe(UK's)ThePostOfficeAct1969B.TelecommunicationsBillof1981C.Oftel’swatchofcompetitivenesssince1995II.BT’sPartnersandCompetitors(theCorporations)A.BT’sproposedmergerpartners1.MCI2.AT&T3.CellnetB.BT’sCompetitors1.Vodaphone2.Orange3.Cable&Wireless(NTL)III.TheCurrentUKMarket(theActivities)A.Oftel1.ConsumerAdvocate?2.BTPuppet?B.TheLocalLoop1.CompetitionintheUKVoiceMarket2.BroadbandandCo-locationIV.ConclusionV.BibliographyBritishTelecomms:StillBritishTelecom’s?1TLMN602(0102)JohnSchellPrefaceBTiscurrentlyundergoingdramaticchangesinanefforttorectifymanyoftheproblemsaddressedinthispaper.ThechangesarehappeningliterallyasIfinishwritingthispaper:asIreturntoBTwebpagestoretrieveURL’sfortheBibliography,Iamre-directedtothesamecontentonnewpagesintheBTGroupwebsite.Thispaperdescribesthehistory,issues,andinfluencesofBTuptoApril28,2001.Footnotesupdatepertinentinformation,includingthere-organizationofBTasBTGroup,asofJune8,2001.IntroductionBritishTelecom(BT),theUK’sone-timeprotectedtelecommunicationsmonopoly,cripplesthemarketbycontinuingtoguardanoverwhelmingadvantageagainsttheirUKcompetitorsinprovidingindustryservicestobusinessesandconsumers.ManycompetitorsfindthechallengeofaccessingBT’smarketsandinfrastructuretoogreattopursueforlong,andquit.BTdominatesinterexchangeservices,localcallandcustomerservices,andmostirritatingforcompetitors,thelocalloop.PrimeMinisterTonyBlairoftentoutstheUKasafreeandgrowingtelecommunicationsmarketontheleadingedgeoftechnologicaladvancementandopportunity.MatHanrahan,ananalystatBloorResearch,decriedthePM’sboasts.“BlairwantstomaketheUKaleaderinbroadbandandthenet,andthemajorobstacletoachievingthatisBT-it'stooold,tooslowandhastheinfrastructurehangingonit,saidHanrahan(Coates,2001,Feb.20).BritishTelecomms:StillBritishTelecom’s?2TLMN602(0102)JohnSchellPrevioustotheUK'sTelecommunicationsBillof1981,theBritishApprovalsBoardforTelecommunications(BABT)providedregulatoryprotectionandtechnicaldirectionforthetelecommunicationshalfoftheGPO(GeneralPostOffice).ThisprotectedorganizationlaterbecameBT.AftertheBillwasputintoeffect,Oftel(OfficeofTelecommunications,theUK'sequivalenttotheFCC)wasformedtomonitortheindustry.TheUK’spracticeofcreatinganagencytomonitoranewlyprivatizedindustrywasnotnew.Ithadalsodonesowithgas(Ofgas),water(Ofwat),andelectricity(Ofelect).Evennow,afterOftelhasbegunopeningBT'smarketsandinfrastructuretocompetitors,theexchangesandequipmentthatBTalreadyhasinplacesavesthemthekindofinvestmentsrequiredfromtheirlikelycompetitors.Becauseitistheirturf,BTlimitsoraltogetherdeniesrivalsaccesstotheirfacilities.OftelispartiallyatfaultindenyingfaircompetitionbyimposingregulatorystipulationsuponBTthatarelax,vague,ornotprosecutedwhenviolated.MonopolisticbusinesspracticescontinuetokeepBTaheadofthecompetitioninwhatOftel’schairmanandothersingovernmentliketocalltheworld’smostfreeandde-regulatedtelecommunicationsmarkets.ThroughoutBT'shistory,theirregulatoryprotectionandmarketpositionhascloselyparalleledthatoftheBellSystem(andthenAT&T)intheUS.BritishBureaucratsliketomakecomparisonstothechangesrecentlymadeintheUnitedStates.ClaimsthattheUKbeganearlierandhasprogressedfurtherinderegulationaretrue,butit’snothingtobragabout.SeveralhistoricalcauseshavebroughtBTtotheircurrentsituation.Inmanyways,thecompanystilloperatesliketheprotectedgovernmententityitonceBritishTelecomms:StillBritishTelecom’s?3TLMN602(0102)JohnSchellwas.Businesses,consumers,competitors,andthegovernmentareallreadyforlongoverduechangeatBT.I.ABriefHistoryofBTandUKTelecommsAcomprehensivesummaryoftelecommunicationshistoryintheUK,fromwhichmuchofthefollowingwasextracted,canbefoundonOftel’swebsite().A.Previoustothe(UK's)PostOfficeAct1969TheGeneralPostOffice(GPO),theUK’s“PTT”,wasagovernmentdepartmentresponsibleforalloperation,equipment,andinfrastructurerelatedtotelecommunicationsandpostalservices.TheGPO’stechnicaloperationsweremonitoredbytheBritishApprovalsBoardforTelecommunications(BABT),asubsidiaryoftheBritishElectrotechnicalApprovalsBoard.ThePostOfficeActof1969transformedtheGPOintoastatutorycorporation.TheUKgovernmentbegantoshowaninterestinprivatizingthetelecommunicationsindustry(BritishTelecom,orBT)intheearly1980’s.B.TelecommunicationsBillof1981TheUKgovernmentdraftedaTelecommunicationsBillintheearly1980’s.Thebillrecommendedthesaleofa51%stakeinBTandthecreationofaregulatoryagencytomonitoritsoperation.PrivateentitieswerealreadybeginningtoentertheUK’stelecommunicationsmarket.MercuryCommunications,asubsidiaryofCable&Wireless,begantooffertelecommunicationsservicesintheLondonarea(Battle,1990).LicensesweregrantedtoVodafoneandCellnettooffermobilephoneservicesthroughouttheBritishTelecomms:StillBritishTelecom’s?4TLMN602(0102)JohnSchellUK.TheTe