The UK telecoms regulator, responding to calls from the House of
Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, has claimed that it has
no plans to separate BT’s network from its retail business. The
parliamentary committee published a report in May, which
recommended that Oftel should consider breaking up BT in order to
increase competition in the broadband market.
Oftel responded that it has sufficient powers to deal with any
potential anti-competitive behaviour in the broadband market, and
added in a statement:
“Competition in the broadband market
continues to increase, with prices cheaper in the UK, than in
France or Germany. The UK is on course for 750,000 broadband
connections by the end of July… The option of breaking up BT is
therefore not on its [Oftel’s] current agenda.”
Oftel has recently ordered BT to open up its network to
companies wanting to offer fast internet connections, following
complaints from Thus and Energis. BT owns almost all networks
between homes and small businesses, but now competitors will have
the opportunity to offer services by using both their own networks
and BT’s.
