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Authored by: Anonymous on Tuesday, February 26 2013 @ 11:09 AM EST |
Most UK DSL routes are by ISP-specific pipes to the local exchange and over BT-
provided wires from there on. Some areas have cable as well but that's nearly
all from one provider nationally (as a result of takeovers).
Some exchanges are fully unbundled (defined as having 2 ISPs in addition to BT)
but this tends to be only the bigger ones due to the investment required of the
other ISPs.
There are still quite large areas with no DSL, eastern Oxfordshire is one
remarkable example, they quite often have independent radio link providers.[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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Authored by: Wol on Tuesday, February 26 2013 @ 04:14 PM EST |
BT operates (iss legally obliged to) as two separate companies. One provides the
customer services and backhaul phone trunks.
The second (called OpenReach) provides the local exchanges and "last
mile" infrastructure.
And if OpenReach provides preferential service to BT they will get into SERIOUS
trouble with the regulator.
That's the way I think utilities SHOULD be provided. Gas, electric and phone
could easily work this way. The "last mile" infrastructure is provided
by a monopoly or near monopoly - preferably a co-op. Customers buy the service
from a back-haul operator who hire the local infrastructure co for final
delivery.
Electricity works roughly this way over here too. Most electric companies have
local infrastructure monopolies, but customers don't have to buy from them -
they can buy from someone else. The problem is that while the old 20 or 30
companies are still mostly around, they've been mopped up by holding companies
so the reality is there's only a couple of companies out there.
Cheers,
Wol[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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