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BBKing · 29-11-2003, 01:25

ntl don't have a monopoly, they're up against BT and Sky for bleep's sake*, two of the biggest monopolists in town (fancy getting ADSL or Premiership football from someone else? Tough.).

ntl have, of course, opened up to AOL to sell over their cable lines without any pressure from the government. Don't see BT doing that often. Grudgingly open up ADSL to third party resellers then screw them over with BT Broadband and massive advertising hits, is more like their style.

BT would LOVE ntl and TW to be forced to compete, as it would take the attention of both companies away from competing with BT. And they'd have to be forced to compete, neither ntl nor TW would want, in their current situation, to expand into each others territory without coercion.

On a different, but related note, remember that the government nonsensically referred the ntl/CWC merger (two non-competing companies) to the MMC despite there being no monopolistic aspect to the merger.

Anyway, what's so great about forced competition? Privatised railways, PFI schemes and directory enquiries spring to mind.

*and the BBC/Sky joint venture of Freeview.

29-11-2003, 01:25	#45
BBKing R.I.P. Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: London Services: 20Mb VM CM, Virgin TV Posts: 5,983	Re: 2mb service ntl don't have a monopoly, they're up against BT and Sky for bleep's sake, two of the biggest monopolists in town (fancy getting ADSL or Premiership football from someone else? Tough.). ntl have, of course, opened up to AOL to sell over their cable lines without any pressure from the government. Don't see BT doing that often. Grudgingly open up ADSL to third party resellers then screw them over with BT Broadband and massive advertising hits, is more like their style. BT would LOVE ntl and TW to be forced to compete, as it would take the attention of both companies away from competing with BT. And they'd have to be forced to compete, neither ntl nor TW would want, in their current situation, to expand into each others territory without coercion. On a different, but related note, remember that the government nonsensically referred the ntl/CWC merger (two non-competing companies) to the MMC despite there being no monopolistic aspect to the merger. Anyway, what's so great about forced competition? Privatised railways, PFI schemes and directory enquiries spring to mind. and the BBC/Sky joint venture of Freeview.