UK, Vodafone, Chris Gent could consider that as UK
is in a "special position" he could try to reflect
that in is announcements and interviews.
for example
-EU tried, for a long time, to have member nations
agreeing on a common policy, strategy for telecommunication
and 3G roll out, 2 nations made a lot of problems, no agreement.
-EU agreed to break the existing local monopolies based on
the wired lines and through the wireless sevices and
licenses, to have min 3-4 competing operators everywhere.
-local loops should be rented for high speed DSL connections
(as mine is), access to telephone exchanges,etc, compare
US R-box.
(where UK has been doing their best not to implement it)
- masts should be shared or owned by third parties, so that
competition isn't based on a mast and site war, but on
providing the actual service.
- note that Finland as the first to issue 3G licenses
made a clear strategy known, a strategy not to collect
indirect,privatized taxes by auctions, inflate service
prices, not allow "after auction trade" of the license
to collect, more like renting.
This based on the goal that the frequencies of
the people should be used to provide for high quality
services for the people through efficient competition
and regulation. (the debate on regional issues
was also important, the quality in rural regions)
UK's auction system was heavily critized from the very
start, but the rethoric of "free market forces" went
down on the "potato famine level". It was clear it would
become a system for incumbent monopolies to keep
competition out due to lower costs due to already existing
infrastructure.
Germany fixed some mechanisms on how both the auction was
done and how the licenses are written, but was under
heavy pressure go on with a UK style auction.
That is, regular mechanisms for the big ones to
attempt to avoid competition, nothing new, although
this game of poker obviously is slightly different
than earlier ones.
What pixxes me off is how little the articles go into
these factors, tactics and mechanisms, or even give a hint
of them (except now the small comments on what
mechanisms favors the big ones and what the small ones).
Especially as guys like Gent and his managers, bankers,etc
obviously have and still spend most their time doing it.
Just to pick one old example, not one has yet mentioned
that the proposed network sharing solution is limited in
time, although that is one of the most important factors.
Ilmarinen
P.S. My guess is that Blair just has to raise taxes and brits
have to pay double prices per fewer minute, as well as limp
along with old technology outside London..
(although bundling handset and service seem to show
some improvement, same for locked handsets,etc other signs of undeveloped, dysfunctional markets) |
