英国BT—电信大玩家?
英国电信集团公司(BT)是世界顶尖的电信运营商,完成了基于网络的综合信息通信服务提供商的重新定位,成为传统固网运营商转型的典范,又率先推出“云中云”服务。
然而今天却面临着来自于同行竞争者的垄断指控,BT究竟是大玩家?还是行业独裁者?
测试中可能遇到的词汇和知识:
watchdog 监管者
probe 探查
tinkering 修补
Ofcom 英通信监管机构
escalation 升级
underinvesting 投资不足
阅读马上开始,建议您计算一下阅读整篇文章所用的时间,对照下方的参考值就可以评估出您的英文阅读水平。
BT rivals call for probe of UK broadband services(456words)
By Daniel Thomas,Telecoms Correspondent
A group of telecom and media companies has joined the Institute of Directors to denounce the quality of UK broadband services and urge the competition watchdog to investigate BT's role in the market.
British Telecom's ownership of the national telecoms network has led to a “substandard experience for millions of customers” according to a letter in Monday's Financial Times,calling for “radical reform” of the market from the chief executives of rival internet service providers including Sky,Vodafone and TalkTalk.
The letter,which has also been signed by the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed,highlights “fundamental problems” that cannot be addressed by “tinkering with the existing regulatory framework……
"It is therefore crucial that Ofcom moves as quickly as possible to ask the Competition and Markets Authority(CMA),with its far reaching powers,to undertake a full market investigation,” the letter said.
“Only the CMA,with the support of Ofcom,can address the structural barriers to competition that will unlock the next wave of investment."
The groups want BT's Openreach division to be split from the rest of the group.
They say this will give them better access to the national broadband network that they need to sell internet packages to their customers.
The letter said there were serious problems with the ownership of the national telecoms network by BT Openreach,including “a conflict of interest in the role of BT,poor quality of customer service and difficulties in enforcing the existing regulatory regime”.
The result,the companies said,is a “diminished opportunity for alternative providers to compete effectively”.
The letter marks an escalation of a war of words between BT and its rivals,which have accused the British telecoms group of providing a poor service to their internet businesses and underinvesting in the network.
BT has rejected both accusations and has set out plans to improve the service provided by Openreach,which provides equal access to the UK's biggest broadband network to its rivals on the same terms as its own retail broadband business.
BT said: “We acknowledge that there is more to do on customer service but Openreach is exceeding all 60 of the service targets set by Ofcom and breaking up BT is not the answer. “It would lead to huge uncertainty and fundamentally undermine the case for future investment,dragging the UK backwards at the very time it needs important investment in its infrastructure.”
Sky,in particular,has been locked in a battle with BT at a regulatory level and the market for customers,competing with BT in broadband as well as pay-TV.
BT,for its part,has asked Ofcom to investigate the pay-TV market as part of a review of the digital communications market in the UK.
请根据你所读到的文章内容,完成以下自测题目:
1.Who can address the structural barriers to competition?
A.CMA
B.Sky
C.Vodafone
D.TalkTalk
[1] 答案
2.Which division of BT should be split as the groups thought?
A.BT Retail
B.BT Wholesale
C.BT OpenWorld
D.BT Ignite
[2] 答案
3.Which problem with the ownership is not mentioned in the letter?
A.a conflict of interest in the role of BT
B.a war of words between BT and its rivals
C.poor quality of customer service
D.difficulties in enforcing the existing regulatory regime
[3] 答案
4.Where did the Sky compete with BT besides in broadband?
A.3G Internet
B.video chat
C.pay-TV
D.paid games
[4] 答案
[1]答案:A.CMA
解释:CMA:Ofcom支持下的英国反垄断机构竞争与市场署。
[2]答案:C.BT OpenWorld
解释:文章第六段,另外英国电信集团公司主要由5个部门组成:BT Retail,BT Wholesale,BT Ignite,BT OpenWorld,BT eXact。
[3]答案:B.a war of words between BT and its rivals
解释:这些问题包括在英国电信的角色冲突、客户服务质量差、执行现有制度时的困难,这些问题导致了BT与其他同行之间的“战争”升级。
[4]答案:C.pay-TV
解释:文章倒数第二段,Sky在宽带业务和付费电视上与BT竞争。