Quote:
|
Originally Posted by SMHarman
But NTL or TW already have a monopoly on cable to the home in those towns / regions. The country is not big enough to support two cable operators and as a result there is a massive duplication in cost base, this hinders cable development (less money) and marketing (more difficult to target).
|
The country may not be big enough to support two or more cable companies who are offering both infrastructure and services but opening up the network to competition can only spur what to my mind has been a fairly complacent company (NTL - can't vouch for TW's track record). NTL would still have a monopoly on infrastructure but access to that infrastructure could be fairly regulated, so NTL secure access revenues, to the benefit of consumers. The fact that NTL (or TW, depending on where you live) has a monopoly already is, for me, a key part of the problem. For example, it is not currently easy to switch service providers without say, reinstalling a BT line. If the NTL network was open to competition, I could switch in a trice which might mean they decide to look after me better, knowing they haven't got the hassle factor as a comfort zone.