Posted: 09th Feb, 2005 By: MarkJ
BT, which is perhaps feeling rather unhappy following all the recent criticism being levelled at it, has hit back at Ofcom for failing to project a balanced view:
Writing in its response to the telecoms review BT said: "We are very concerned and disappointed by the allegations of prolonged misbehaviour or unsatisfactory activity of one sort or another being made against BT throughout the Phase 2 [telecoms review] document. We believe that the real picture is far from the one that Ofcom has painted."
Indeed BT turns the tables and accuses some operators of lodging "speculative disputes" to try and steal a lead in the sector. "We saw a clear trend of operators negotiating with us and reaching what might be a reasonable position, and then referring the matter to Oftel as a dispute. We believe that other operators were aware of this and sought to exploit this state of affairs to maximise their financial position."
Describing BT's approach to regulation one industry insider told us: "BT plays a continual game of bait and switch with its competitors and is constantly pushing the boundaries of what is fair. It behaves like a driver who only slows down when there's a speed camera in sight."Somehow we doubt that even Ofcom would have highlighted the failings it did in the Telecom's Review without more than "speculative" evidence.
Having said that, we wouldn't be surprised at 'some' companies adopting more unscrupulous practices to win the best deal possible. More @
The Register.