Corbyn effect! Re-nationalising! At last some sense!!!

CLAPTON

ukcarper wrote: »

The BT unions co-operated fully in the modernisation of the network. Do you have any idea of how much work is involved in installing a new digital exchange, then integrating it into the network and transferring lines to it I suspect not.

Stick to the essential point

do you think state monopolies are as efficent (i.e. price and service wise) as competitive situations?

yes I know you worked (or even still work ) for BT and so it may be the one exception in the whole world but ............

ukcarper

CLAPTON wrote: »

Stick to the essential point

do you think state monopolies are as efficent (i.e. price and service wise) as competitive situations?

yes I know you worked (or even still work ) for BT and so it may be the one exception in the whole world but ............

In general I would say that completion is good and state monopolies are not as efficient as a well run private company. But the case is not so clear with untilities and I do not believe that privatising a state controlled company will make it efficient.

gadgetmind

ukcarper wrote: »

I do not believe that privatising a state controlled company will make it efficient.

It can, but I'm sure it's a hell of a slog. I'm involved in acquisition and integration of a lot of companies into our PLC, including a few that have been through the wringer. But the thought of taking on something previously run by HMG, with a demoralised workforce riddled with "hangers on" that the private sector would have weeded out long ago, strong unions blocking almost any moves to cut out any rotten wood, suppliers taking the mickey left right and centre, and long-term underinvestment across the board, fills me with dread.

Hats off to those who've taken on these challenges and have turned around these organisations.

ukcarper

gadgetmind wrote: »

It can, but I'm sure it's a hell of a slog. I'm involved in acquisition and integration of a lot of companies into our PLC, including a few that have been through the wringer. But the thought of taking on something previously run by HMG, with a demoralised workforce riddled with "hangers on" that the private sector would have weeded out long ago, strong unions blocking almost any moves to cut out any rotten wood, suppliers taking the mickey left right and centre, and long-term underinvestment across the board, fills me with dread.

Hats off to those who've taken on these challenges and have turned around these organisations.

BT was a huge company and the inefficiency was more to do with an ineffective management structure than the other things you mentioned and during my time there very little was done to improve that.

DTDfanBoy

michaels wrote: »

I have had a huge increase in my telecoms prices this year.

Last year after cashback BT paid me £40 to have a phone line and broadband for a year (and gave me a TV recording box and modem thingy as part of the deal.

Where as this year I am having to give sky 6 quid for the same thing and only get a free modem thingy and no tv box

Sounds like excellent value for money if you ask me, I'm sure if the vast majority knew you could give Murdoch a kick in the nads for only £46 they'd be lined up around the block :beer:

DTDfanBoy

missbiggles1 wrote: »

I doubt that most professional people are earning between £16k/£29k, nor that they start work at the same time in the morning and finish the same time of night as bus drivers do.

I'd hope that most professionals weren't earning between £16/£24k, but I don't doubt for a second that there's no shortage of professionals who do start work at that time of the morning and often run through until the last bus drivers finish without a crew change taking place

zagubov

How has directory enquiries improved or become better value with the switch to all those 118 numbers with their expensive advertising launches?

Mistermeaner

Who on earth uses 118?

Anyway what did the old one cost to run and who paid for it?

zagubov

ukcarper wrote: »

Of coarse you can convert over 5000 exchanges to digital over night.

The first digital exchange to come on line was in France by the then government owned France Telecom.

Didn't publicly-owned France Telecom rollout an innovative national internet service in 1982 (only retired 3 years ago) way ahead of that WorldWideWeb thingy.

Mistermeaner wrote: »

Who on earth uses 118?

Anyway what did the old one cost to run and who paid for it?

A few pence IIRC added to your phone bill.

kinger101

zagubov wrote: »

How has directory enquiries improved or become better value with the switch to all those 118 numbers with their expensive advertising launches?

True. I find these printing presses much more expensive that making a crude drawing on the side of my cave with charcoal as well.