Petition to nationalise telecom infrastructure

I've started a petition on 38 degress calling for the nationalisation of the telecoms infrastructure currently owned and run by Openreach so that it can be run for the benefit of service providers and users.

If you'd like to sign it click here

Please let me be clear though this is nothing to do with thinkbroadband whatsoever and is just something I have set up myself.

ROFLMAO !

Surely nationalising Openreach will line the pockets of BT Shareholders. What price are you gong to pay us.

Good luck with that, I'm sure it will succeed just like the many internet petitions before yours did

Hmmm, I think I'll pass.

It used to be nationalised, no choice, long waiting lists etc.

So how would it be run? Sorry to ask you for some real detail.

In reply to a post by RandomJointer:

Surely nationalising Openreach will line the pockets of BT Shareholders. What price are you gong to pay us.

A quid seems reasonable.

You should include the phone masts too.

Let me explain my thoughts.

BT are doing an incredibly bad job IMO of operating a critical infrastructure IMO (not rolling out broadband universally, removing tools from ISPs to allow them to perform proper diagnostics, I could go on)

Note that this is NOT a dig at the good folks maintaining the infrastructure day in and day out.

My idea is something administered by the state but works in practice like one of the Internet Exchange Points whereby the companies that provide services over the infrastructure pay into any own an equal share and it run for the benefit of all, not just where BT can make a tidy profit.

BT are doing an incredibly bad job IMO of operating a critical infrastructure

Evidence?

My idea is something administered by the state but works in practice like one of the Internet Exchange Points whereby the companies that provide services over the infrastructure pay into any own an equal share and it run for the benefit of all, not just where BT can make a tidy profit.

So who ever cheapens the service gets the most customers and there would be even less money to upgrade the network.

penny per share? to match the under investment in local loop.

In reply to a post by techguy:

Let me explain my thoughts.

BT are doing an incredibly bad job IMO of operating a critical infrastructure IMO (not rolling out broadband universally, removing tools from ISPs to allow them to perform proper diagnostics, I could go on)

Note that this is NOT a dig at the good folks maintaining the infrastructure day in and day out.

My idea is something administered by the state but works in practice like one of the Internet Exchange Points whereby the companies that provide services over the infrastructure pay into any own an equal share and it run for the benefit of all, not just where BT can make a tidy profit.

You are confused about which bits Openreach run and which other parts of BT and ISPs etc. do.

In reply to a post by techguy:

My idea is something administered by the state

I suspect you may not be old enough to remember when the telephone system was administered by the state, as part of the GPO...

I am, and no thank you very much!!

In reply to a post by techguy:

Let me explain my thoughts.

BT are doing an incredibly bad job IMO of operating a critical infrastructure IMO (not rolling out broadband universally, removing tools from ISPs to allow them to perform proper diagnostics, I could go on) ....

I do tend to agree with your comment about the removal of diagnostic tools and other useful information, but both of those could be solved by a stronger mandate for OfCom from the government.

I also think Openreach would be better fully independent of BT Group. That is not the same thing as nationalisation.

For heavens sake man! The politicians, by definition, directly control nationalised enterprises. They don't even understand what the current problems are, never mind present an inviting prospect as the management of the system. For example, look at the state of the road system!

Additionally, "the infrastructure" includes an awful lot of BT Wholesale kit and facilities. Does that get nationalised as well, so then be far more cosily in bed with Openreach than it is now? At the moment there is at least a "Chinese Wall".

In reply to a post by RandomJointer:

Surely nationalising Openreach will line the pockets of BT Shareholders. What price are you gong to pay us.

Railtrack, anyone?

In reply to a post by techguy:

BT are doing an incredibly bad job IMO of operating a critical infrastructure

What; and you think a nationalised organisation would make a better job of it

Yes I remember Bill. 3 year wait for a phone.

I used to live in Newbury, and the phones didn't have dials- you lifted the receiver, waited for the operator and she put you through to the number you wanted.¹

After about 3 years we got a new exchange and phones with dials.... sounds like pre-WW2? It was ~1973

With that lot in charge they'd still be trialling dial-up.





¹ It had its plus side- if the number was busy she'd try again at intervals and call you back when it was free

We were 'lucky' all my friends had the same as you. We lived in a small village and had one of the first 'automatic' exchanges. The luxury of a dial that worked, and I think it was the late sixties.

I gotta agree, this would be a ridiculous idea.

BT isn't the best company in the world, but at least they're starting to roll fibre out.

It's not a given right that anyone should expect a broadband service.

Also, the smaller firm would then be more likely to be purchased by a foreign firm, which means it'll get stripped right down for even more profit.

What. The. [Censored].

In reply to a post by billford:

In reply to a post by techguy:

My idea is something administered by the state

I suspect you may not be old enough to remember when the telephone system was administered by the state, as part of the GPO...

I am, and no thank you very much!!

you trying to imply BT's service is good now?

No thanks, not again! Under nationalisation it would be, you want broadband. �Do you know there is a six months waiting list before it can be connected�?

In the days of The GPO at onetime the waiting period for a domestic telephone could be up to two years.

British Telecom is still living with the consequences from being nationalised, that is the problem.

In reply to a post by Chrysalis:

In reply to a post by billford:

In reply to a post by techguy:

My idea is something administered by the state

I suspect you may not be old enough to remember when the telephone system was administered by the state, as part of the GPO...

I am, and no thank you very much!!

you trying to imply BT's service is good now?

Telephony? Sure... faultless IMO

In reply to a post by Chrysalis:

you trying to imply BT's service is good now?

"Good" is a relative term

I'd agree with GMAN98- the voice side is good by almost any standards, it's improved almost beyond recognition since the GPO days.

The broadband side has, shall we say, room for improvement, and the FTTC rollout is a dog's breakfast.