Industry news

'BT has a monopoly and must be stopped'

BT is acting like a monopoly in the industry which the introduction of naked DSL could stop, according to one expert.

Naked DSL should be introduced into the UK in order to stop the "position of dominance" which the telecoms company holds, says Vonage.

Vincent Potier, managing director of the firm, said: "BT has been in such a cosy relationship with the regulator, Ofcom, that even though they do not have a monopoly, they still behave like it's a monopoly."

He said the amount BT charges is too high and reducing it by almost £6 would still give the firm a profit.

Mr Potier added firms were lobbying the European Commission to introduce anti-competitive practices, in the form of naked DSL.

The idea means the telephone providers would offer line rental aside from a telephone connection, allowing firms to get their broadband service elsewhere.

According to IDC's Digital Marketplace Model and Forecast, the number of people using the internet is expected to grow to nearly two billion over the next eight years.