BT Connection Charges (merged threads)

mattyh

hurrah wrote:

Get real. Like any other business they have to recoup their initial outlay to provide the service.Thats all they are doing nothing more,nothing less.You get nowt for nowt in this world.:D

Broken record.

"Pint of beer please"

"Certainly sir, that's £2.50, but as we've just opened we'd like you to cover the cost of the new pumps, so that's a £50 charge on top of that i'm afriad"

ahrimaniac

'You don't make reference to my point that hits the nail right on the head and demonstrates BTs greed completely.'

Because I disagree absolutely with it. I don't think it is greed, at all. Considering the costs involved in laying a line, getting it registered and also maintaining it for the 100 years which it may be used for, I don't think the connection charge is that bad.

Why isn't cable available in your area? Why haven't they laid the cables there? I mean once it's laid it could be used constantly for 100 years or more, after all...

mattyh

Not really, because BTs unique position works both ways. Whilst it's cursed with having to supply services to almost everywhere, it's blessed with the fact that a large proportion of people will use BT as standard (in the same way people stick with barclays bank, a standard rate mortgage, travel agent's insurance etc etc etc)

And I would hope that the monthly line rental would also go towards maintaining the line for the next 100 years.... isn't that the point of line rental?

ahrimaniac

And I really hate this monopoly argument - yeah, maybe 10 or twenty years ago, but you can't call BT a monopoly anymore. Any company can decide to fund new lines into property should they want to.

They just choose not to. Perhaps you could give cable a call and ask them why they're not bothering to cable your area?

ahrimaniac

'Whilst it's cursed with having to supply services to almost everywhere, it's blessed with the fact that a large proportion of people will use BT as standard (in the same way people stick with barclays bank, a standard rate mortgage, travel agent's insurance etc etc etc)'

Less and less so, as the CPS market becomes more well-known?

mattyh

I'm not using the monopoly argument, that'd be just as weak as the cable trump-card you think you have!

Ultimately, cable providers can choose exactly where they cable, and they're also far from perfect and probably don't have the cash to install at new developments at the moment.

ahrimaniac

And to top it off, where your argument falls apart is this:

If someone sets up a new BT connection, they put a line in, register it, maintain it. They don't charge a connection fee in this case, the customer gets the line, !!!!!!s off to TalkTalk straight away.

So, to provide the customer with a brand new line and TalkTalk with a new customer, BT get:

11 x 1 line rental
£18 cancellation fee.

Oooh. £29.

ahrimaniac

'Ultimately, cable providers can choose exactly where they cable, and they're also far from perfect and probably don't have the cash to install at new developments at the moment.'

NTL/Virgin don't have the cash? Perhaps they should start charging installation fees for laying the cable in the road.

mattyh

'Less and less so, as the CPS market becomes more well-known?'

My point exactly. CPS requires a BT phone line.

ahrimaniac

Sorry, the WLR market. It's late and I'm stoned.