Quote:
Originally Posted by Traduk
The points you make are somewhat after the fact and you are applying conjecture to what may have happened if no privatisation had taken place.
BT was privatised in 1984 and went absolutely nowhere until the early 90s when System X became viable. The manner in which it took advantage of the new technology is as any private company should but without System X it would have stayed stuck in the mud until something appeared. The older but more modern of the older systems had a projected lifespan that for many would still have been in force had System X not appeared.
Although in development for years it was 1992 before there was enough of the system operational to start the mass savings and that was prompted in part by the post mini recession (89\92) savaging of profitability. It was a case of needs must, rather than brilliant strategy which in retrospect it was.
To further your line of debate you would have to show a business that ignored technological advances and has done so on the back of government constraint.
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BT have also made mistakes such as the billions they wasted on licenses. What saved them was their monopoly in half the country on land lines which they wouldnt have had if it wasnt for the investment made whilst owned by the state. If BT was started as a private company it would never have the coverage it has now, many people forget this.