The Internet is "mature" when BT says it is (30 November 1999) Three of us are at the TMA 32 conference in Brighton. The original title of this piece was to be "Oh we do like to be beside the seaside" ... then Sir Iain Vallance spoke this morning. The following press release of ours requires no further comment from us (see ZDNet UK for another angle) except to emphasise that he was speaking to an audience of telecommunications professionals; the people who said that his comments were indefensible surprised even us ... London, 30 November 1999 For immediate release Campaigners condemn BT's prevarication In a speech to the Telecommunications Managers' Association annual conference in Brighton on Tuesday, BT Chairman Sir Iain Vallance admitted that BT had lost the battle for Internet prices and would be unwilling to modify their strategy, describing BT as a 'lollipop man trying to restrain over-exuberant children'. Describing the Internet itself, access to which currently accounts for a growing portion of BT's revenue, as 'in its infancy and not yet fit for purpose', the UK's largest telecommunications operator appears to be pointing out that its business strategy is wrong. CUT Secretary Richard Sliwa said: 'His patronising comments are not only an insult to his highly-respected and highly-qualified immediate audience, but a slap in the face of the UK Government which is trying to promote the Internet as a means of communication and business. Sir Iain is lucky he did not choose to answer questions at the Conference: in all likelihood he would have been lynched'. CUT now calls upon BT shareholders to question whether BT's management team should remain in their posts. Coupled with Sir Peter Bonfield's paternalistic and insulting interview on BBC news on 11th November, it is clear that they have no understanding of what is increasingly becoming their company's core business. In a keynote speech opening the Conference on Monday, Michael Portillo, recently returned to Parliament, was close to admitting that the way in which the government in which he was a Minister privatised British Telecom in 1984 was not to the long-term benefit of the country: 'it was appropriate for the 1980s, but the world has moved on and the telecoms infrastructure in the UK has to change as well'. In response to a question from a CUT committee member, Mr Portillo agreed with the current Government, campaigners and Internet users that per-minute charging was stifling effective use of the Internet in the UK and Europe and insisted that 'something has to be done as soon as possible'. He promised that he would look into the issue further. Further information TMA32: http://www.tmav-online.com/tma32/ CUT: http://www.unmetered.org.uk/ Contact: Erol Ziya press@unmetered.org.uk Press Officer, Campaign for Unmetered Telecommunications 020 7681 2831 And OFTEL's final determination on broadband access and local loop unbundling is out. It is long and complex so we will have to study it for a few days before coming to conclusions although our initial observation is 'little change from before'.