Originally Posted by alexj2002:
“Indeed - Sky used newspapers to fund them in the early years so people at least had a choice to buy different papers if they didn't like the idea of their money being used this way. BT are using money paid by almost every landline phone owner in the land - profits from having a monopoly over a network that was largely built with public money. They're then using those profits to try and better the position of part of the business that competes with those who partially contribute towards these profits. Worse still, they're then pleading poverty and getting millions in handouts from the government to fund improvements to the network for things that they consider "unprofitable".”
BT bought the network off the government for a considerable figure, but the also inherited a load of regulations to go along with it such as they have to wholesale to other companies who can just start up from nowhere.
They also have to pay to maintain that network.
They didn't claim poverty at all; the government created the scheme and let companies tender for it. Both Fujitsu and BT tendered for the contract and Fujitsu pulled out. Leaving only bt willing to roll it out and then bank roll the rest themselves.
BT have surpassed Vms fibre reach now but have nowhere near the same level of take up and it is really hard to sell fibre to a majority customer base made of the older generation.
If it wasn't for BT this country would be left in the dark ages in terms of internet speed!