Bulldog Saved?

[TRIaXOR™]

In the past few weeks speculation has been rife about Bulldogs future as its parent company Cable and Wireless's business is in a major upheaval with the loss of thousands of jobs on the horizon for C&W staff..

but according to the register Bulldog is safe from the chopping block and wont be sold off, far from it in fact as C&W UK boss John Pluthero stated, the register reports that Pluthero has said that he was "really happy" with it's performance. Last year the ISP, which has invested heavily in local loop unbundling (LLU) and Since last year's low point Bulldog has made "significant operational progress", more than doubling the number of punters from 48,000 last August to 107,000 today.

As far as Pluthero is concerned, Bulldog is the UK's LLU market leader and is something that "can build value for shareholders". With its kit installed in some 400 exchanges at present, and expected to double by September, the telco sees LLU as a "strategic asset" for the business.

so for all the doubters, you can now lay this speculation to rest and especially for us punters will have an ISP to log on to of which doesnt have to bend over backwards for BT's greed, so cheap and unlimited access without shaping or any other forced FUPness to hamper our unrestricted access

the full story can be read at the register..

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/28/c_w_bulldog_pluthero/

and yes, I'm one happy bunny at the news

 

[nodrog]

well thats you sorted for some time to come

wish they would llu my exchange in kilwinning ayrshire.

maybe iy will happen when 8mb is enabled in the near future

 

[onephat]

Good news for me i hope as well as Bulldog are LLU are exchange on Mar 31st

 

[paul45]

An admirable attempt by Mr Pluthero at talking up the price, readying the business for an eventual sell-off perhaps?

From the FT:

Pluthero takes axe to C&W UK
Published: February 28 2006 21:00 | Last updated: February 28 2006 21:00
Group targets large corporates
The termination letters are already going out. Not only is Cable and Wireless UK planning to cut its workforce by more than half within the next five years, it is beginning to say goodbye to 90 per cent of its customers. By the end of September, the telecommunications group says its customer base will have dropped from 30,000 to 18,000: the longer-term aim is that it should be just 3,000.

In focusing on large corporate customers John Pluthero, C&W group managing director, is re-making C&W UK in the image of Energis

 

[TRIaXOR™]

An admirable attempt by Mr Pluthero at talking up the price, readying the business for an eventual sell-off perhaps?

I dont think so as Bulldog is a seperate entity within C&W, C&W does its own Wholesale Broadband to Business AFAIK

 

[onephat]

Am i correct is thinking that C&W did this a few years ago as well when it sold its residental customers to NTL? We used to have a Cab n Wab line and then started recieving bills from NTL. Seems they may do this occasionaly.

Traiaxtor, how long did it take Bulldog to do their giggery pokery on your line to get you setup?

 

[TRIaXOR™]

depending on the install it can take upto 30 days but in reality I've seen it done in 16

btw, lol@traiaxtor :laugh: maybe i'll start calling you onephaphart

 

[paul45]

TRIaXOR

I dont think so as Bulldog is a seperate entity within C&W ……..

I’m not too sure why you might think this ‘separate entity’ has any relevance on its future outlook.

Bulldog is part of the C&W group, is wholly owned by them, and it even has the same chairman as C&W UK
Therefore its degree of independence and any future plans for it are solely in the hands of C&W.
If John Pluthero thought he could obtain a few more bucks for his shareholders by talking up his disposable assests, I don't blame him for one moment.

onephat:

We used to have a Cab n Wab line and then started recieving bills from NTL. Seems they may do this occasionaly.

You’re correct, C&W have a long tradition of selling off parts of its group, and John Pluthero himself is certainly no stranger to floating parts of businesses and then selling them on.

 

[TRIaXOR™]

well there is a saying, why bite the hand that feeds you, the kit is in the exchanges and the userbase is growing at an astonishing rate, to sell it off would be (in my view) idiotic.

 

[paul45]

TRIaXOR

...why bite the hand that feeds you.....

But does Bulldog feed C&W or is it more probable that they are feeding from C&W?

Unless I’m mistaken, C&W made a profit of around £400m, yet the whole revenue (not profit – which I suspect was very small or even non-existent) for Bulldog would have only been around £40m tops.

Added to this is the question of the funding required for LLU, so where is this money coming from and what is the likely profit margin?

I get the impression that the financial investment is being supplied by C&W who are coming to the conclusion that any return on it’s money might be quite some considerable time off and at best very small indeed.

 

[TRIaXOR™]

40m is not small change, it may be only 10% of overall revenue but its still paying for the equipment being installed and staff etc.. over the next couple of years the cost of installation would not apply and then C&W will see profit maybe not as much as C&W makes in total but that 10% is 40 million quid before expenditure (staff, premises etc..), would you give up on such a company?

I sure as hell wouldn't

 

[paul45]

TRiaXOR

..[40m is not small change, it may be only 10% of overall revenue .../I]

Easy done TRIaXOR, but I think you completly misread the point on profits & revenenue.

..over the next couple of years the cost of installation would not apply and then C&W will see profit..

I wish I shared in your confidence that LLU investment will see a profitable return within just a couple of years.
So far I've seen nothing to suggest that's likely and the exchanges that were perhaps more probable to show a decent return are subject to emergining & stiff competition from other companys involved with LLU.

would you give up on such a company?
I sure as hell wouldn't

If I considered I could get a quicker, higher & safer return on the cash, I'd have no hesitation in selling off parts of a business and investing elsewhere.

 

[Kwayzeewabbitt]

Bulldog - not all it seems.

Whoops = wrong forum - sorry guys...

One unhappy Bunny!

 

[onephat]

depending on the install it can take upto 30 days but in reality I've seen it done in 16

btw, lol@traiaxtor :laugh: maybe i'll start calling you onephaphart

Thats what i get for trying to view websites so early in the morning.

 

[pgudge]

so for all the doubters, you can now lay this speculation to rest and especially for us punters will have an ISP to log on to of which doesnt have to bend over backwards for BT's greed, so cheap and unlimited access without shaping or any other forced FUPness to hamper our unrestricted access

Slightly Off Topic (sorry) but does that mean if a ISP has the LLU of the Exchange they dont have to pay BT for traffic and services on the LLU network?

Like now my ISP keep complaining they charge us more cos BT charge them more for the traffic the ISP accumulates on the BT networks.

cheers

pgudge