An apology, and a question (about uucp in Germany)

[Jack Campin]

wnp at killer.Dallas.TX.US (Wolf Paul) wrote:
> The telecommunications monopolies in Europe are not private companies, 
> but state-owned and state-run.

In the UK British Telecom and Mercury are both private companies; BT was once
a state organization, i.e. it had its infrastructure paid for by the taxpayer,
but was sold to Thatcher's pals at a giveaway price several years ago.  Both
firms are now going for the big business comms market; unprofitable customers
like hobbyists with modems, the disabled, and people in rural areas can get
stuffed.  BT's prices to domestic users have increased far ahead of inflation;
Mercury price structure is aimed at excluding domestic users.

The shareholders of both, of course, benefit massively from the state (e.g. by
Mercury getting to run its optical fibres along the new motorways built with
State money by the private road construction industry, one of the other major
contributors to Tory Party funds).  But then, that's what the state's for,
isn't it?
-- 
Jack Campin  *  Computing Science Department, Glasgow University, 17 Lilybank
Gardens, Glasgow G12 8QQ, SCOTLAND.    041 339 8855 x6045 wk  041 556 1878 ho
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