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[snadge]

this may interest some

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/factsheet/broadband-factsheet-q2-2012.pdf

[kitz]

Thanks... interesting to see the rise of BT... I should imagine a large portion of them returning to get FTTC.

Some of the ISPs ought to also be getting in on the bandwaggon whilst its hot..  (ie O2).  I read somewhere that Be* is chomping at the bit, wanting to go FTTC, but need the nod from higher up

[guest]

Telefonica are skint kitz. Their only interest in the UK is LTE (4G) backhaul. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the fixed landline (and ADSL) business being sold within 12 months.

[kitz]

I cba to google as I'm not on the pc, but i seem to recall something about the uk and roi bringing in the most profit when comparedto other countries. 

You know it really worries me when you have all these big mergers and takeovers.  Regardless of the sector ie telecoms financial supermarkets or whatever.  In the past 15 -20 yrs we as consumers seem to have less choice and it's all the same few big few names in each individual sector. I'm not sure if all this opening up of markets was such a good idea.  The big boys who take over seem to strip and merge the assets of the takeovers and even strip them..  And once profitable companies are swallowed up.

I saw it happen with the bank, when they were taken over, they werent a big name..  But a regional bank who were expanding and profitable in their own right.  The pension fund was healthy and despite its size in terms of branches, it was actually one of the most profitable uk banks.  Yet it was bought out by an international bank who picked up a few other profitable uk and a roi bank at the same time.  You can imagine what happened over the course of the next few years and even pension funds merged.  For a few years they showed the profits separately and ours was still ous performing the others but total merger and somehow it swung into negative.     

I know there has been some problems in the financial markets  past 5 years or so, but this was before then.

Anyhow same can be applied to any industry and I best stop the rant before it becomes tltr.

[guest]

Telefonica have been illegally ripping off customers in Spain for a decade. They got a huge fine from the EU for that. The core Spanish business is close to meltdown in cash flow terms, due to the Euro and the fact nobody trusts them (or wants to use them) now.

The South American business units are quite literally on dodgy ground - eg Argentina - and can't be relied on. Repsol (Spanish oil company) being the poster child for "you can't trust the South Americans".

The Chinese and far-east stuff is being sold off now in something of a firesale.

So the UK may well be the best performing in terms of ROI but the money is required to keep the other businesses (just) afloat.

All the UK cash for the next few years (if they last that long) is allocated to 4G/LTE backhaul/basestations - the so-called "new" network Be/Be Usergroup keep going on about.

Telefonica can't compete with BT/Virgin/Sky/TalkTalk on fixed landline products - they didn't make that much of an impact in the "good times". In fact every single person I know who's on O2 (not Be) is there because they got a discount due to being an existing mobile customer.

Edit - the reason they can't compete is quite simple, all the above companies have a USP :

1) BT - incumbent, sets the agenda in a lot of ways. Eg - FTTC vs FTTP. Massive economies of scale;
2) Virgin - faster speeds than ADSL/VDSL, Tivo box, TV (even if some is bought from Sky) etc;
3) Sky - TV, not much more needs to be said there, Sky want to be able to supply TV as standard without the dish and it'll happen;
4) TalkTalk - good coverage of LLU, cheap as very cheap chips.

They simply don't have the money to throw at the landline business with its wafer-thin margins, so their only option is to attempt to retain customers with 4G/LTE broadband. They can also rent some 4G/LTE backhaul to other mobile operators to increase revenue.

Telefonica have had "issues" for years now which they didn't bother dealing with when credit was cheap. A perfect storm (much of it self-inflicted) has engulfed the company and I don't think they'll recover from it.

[UncleUB]

every single person I know who's on O2 (not Be) is there because they got a discount due to being an existing mobile customer.

My package should be £14.50 (without O2 Mobile discount)which is £5,then I am getting a loyalty discount so at present I am paying £6.95, I am still on their old Legacy unlimited package.