RE: Re[2]: KIS ASS

[Jim Dixon <jdd@matthew.uk1.vbc.net>]

[apologies for the size of the CC list, but I did cut it by 50% !]

On Sat, 7 Feb 1998, Roberto Gaetano wrote:

> May have some truth, but the deregulation in the telecom business (at
> least in Europe) has come from an internal process of the Telecom
> industry, and specifically of the Telecom operators, that adapted to the
> evolving market. The driving force was not a paper of some colour from
> some government, but market evolution. It is absolutely true that this
> tendency started in the US, but there was no formal action from the US
> Government to determine the future asset of the European Telecom.

This is highly misleading.  Telecoms charges in Europe are generally
high; charges between European countries are often ridiculously high.
BT's tariff for a 2M line between say London and Birmingham is about
the same as the charge for a DS3 over the same distance in the US.  
That is, bit for bit, we are charged more than 20x as much.  Over 
international borders charges are surreal: we are quoted 20% more for a 
London-Paris circuit than for a London-New York circuit.  The cheaper one 
is carried over fibre that crosses thousands of miles of open sea; the 
more expensive one follows the rail line between the UK and France.

EuroISPA is lobbying to get telecoms charges across European borders
reduced to sensible rates.  The most effective argument we have is
a simple comparison of European and American telecoms rates.

Certainly no "internal process of the Telecom industry" has led to 
deregulation in Europe.  Quite the contrary.  The telcos are fighting 
tooth and nail to retain their monopolies and monopolistic price 
structures.

--
Jim Dixon                                                 Managing Director
VBCnet GB Ltd                http://www.vbc.net        tel +44 117 929 1316
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