back to article BT boss in shock 'bigger is better' claim as £12.5bn EE bid heats up

BT claimed on Monday that its planned gobble of EE was a good thing for competition in the UK – despite the fact that such market consolidation would make the former state monopoly more powerful. It called on the UK's competition watchdog to fast track the first stage of its merger probe into its proposed £12.5bn buyout of EE …

  1. hplasm
    Meh

    They could succeed and form BE...

    Buggerall Everywhere - the best practices of BT and EE in one easy to swallow bitter pill.

    1. WonkoTheSane

      Re: They could succeed and form BE...

      Nope. Sky bought Be a couple years ago.

    2. dotdavid

      Re: They could succeed and form BE...

      More like TE (Terrible Everywhere)

    3. Stu Mac

      Re: They could succeed and form BE...

      It's the kiss of death for any company to be slurped by BT. What chance the regulator will wise up and say no. It should be a cert on Anti Trust alone, however.....

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    BT's EE plan.

    BT's EE plan.

    To fit every BT customer with a Home Hub 6 with a built in 4G EE Femtocell, so they can charge exhorbitant 4GB mobile rates / 'per MB' Data rates* gouging the customer, for data sent over the customer's own FTTC connection (charged twice), that has only been made possible because of vast amount of subsidies paid by the UK taxpayer (charged thrice). You couldn't make it up.

    *upto £7.50 per MB for roaming rates/overseas customers.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: BT's EE plan.

      You're more right than you think you are.

      BT will do everything to get mobile traffic off the cellular network and onto broadband

  3. Disgruntled of TW
    Go

    BT don't share their dark fibre ...

    ... so why would they share their mobile network infrastructure? By controlling access to the wholesale infrastructure, they control the market.

    Last time I looked at anything "complex", doing it "quickly" was a sub-optimal approach, cough.

    BT (Group) need to try harder and up their end consumer service standards, before getting bigger.I applaud the competition watchdog for taking their time, turning all the rocks over. Let the whack-a-mole games begin.

  4. A Non e-mouse Silver badge
    WTF?

    Wholesale...

    ..given our history as a natural and willing wholesaler, enabling other companies to use the networks we own.

    If they were so willing, why does OFCOM have to force them to offer the service?

    If they are so willing, why are they kicking up a fuss about sharing their fibre network.?

  5. Fihart

    Waste of (my) time.

    On hold for 20 minutes yesterday trying to clear up BT bill overcharge dating back to January when unknown to me they started charging for caller ID.

    So angry when finally connected to Indian call centre, told them to issue new correct bill or I would close the account.

    1. Trigonoceps occipitalis

      Re: Waste of (my) time.

      "I would close the account"

      You must like long conversations with call centres.

  6. Paul IT

    Yes you can have EE but give up Openreach

    What about a this suggestion to say that yes you can have EE but you have to give up Openreach.

    That would be a win win win win win win for all.

  7. JayB
    Coffee/keyboard

    "natural and willing"

    "... given our history as a natural and willing wholesaler, enabling other companies to use the networks we own."

    HAHAHHAHAHAH, nice one. I take it he was advertising BT's new Comedy channel?

    I seem to have just violated my keyboard with a mouthful of tea.

  8. Avatar of They
    FAIL

    It is true.

    BT do indeed invest heavily in infrastructure. Massive investment across the board.

    Just a shame it is India's infrastructure as it certainly isn't in the UK.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    Competition?

    Let's look at the "more" competitive market once (because I'm yet to hear a UK government body say no to a big bride business) BTEE become one:

    - Virgin (Broadband only)

    - O3 (Mobile only)

    Everyone else are virtual networks renting bandwidth from the above.

    1. Russell Hancock

      Re: Competition?

      While i agree with your comment...

      1) Vodafone?

      2) big bride? good typo!

      Cheers

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Pint

        Re: Competition?

        Bum!

        I forgot about Vodafone.

        Have a mid-week pint on me.

  10. gbru2606

    When the land-line literally fell off our outside wall, BT tried to charge us £150 to get someone to reattach it! I was gobsmacked by the brass neck of it all thinkling how much they'd earned in rental over the years.

    Chancers. Utter chancers.

    The fibre-broadband we all paid for with our taxes is sitting in a nice new shiny box down the road. I can't afford to connect to it.

  11. Andy Livingstone

    The BT Guarantee

    That all customers will have First Class Service. Market 1 Exchange Class Service.

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