Disgusted..

[Alex202]

I'm disgusted at the prices when i could be getting better for sky for alot cheaper!. Also at some points it ends up going really slow. I sure do wish sky come here so i can get the offer if you have a sky box 

[Fastethernet]

I think a lot of people all share your opinion about KCOM's monopoly in Hull and the surrounding area. We should be entitled to choose from any of the ISP's in the country and KCOM should be forced to resell their ADSL lines at the same price as BT to ensure all operators can make some business operating within KCOM's area.

If you want to help sign the petition @ http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/HULLINTERNET/ tell your friends and family, heck people in the street the more people that show their grievance with KCOM the better!

[bobthebuilder]

me still getting 5meg and does any 1 know where all the exchanges are cos i got a m8 who lives just of endyke and he can only get 2.5 meg top speed and i thought there was a exchange on endyke

[Ben Atkinson]

I think some people arn't educated enough in telecommunication.

KCOM Do not have a monoply ;Other companys just dont want to come into there area because they would have to fit all of there own hardware in KCOM's Exchanges , KCOM are not stopping this but it would cost other ISP's so much to do this because KCOM have over 75,000 Lines with about 90% using ADSL.

[The Dominator]

 B . Atkinson,
no KC do not have a monoply but they do have an effective monoply which is just the same.  They resell the xDSL lines wholesale at around the same price as they sell to the public which with the addition of internet access costs means there is no business on this planet will come to Hull.

I believe there was a telecommunications company in Spain that had a similar set up before the European Courts got wind of it (because what they did was illegal..), i will try to dig up more info on this..

Read the news (in the news section of this forum) and you will see that Ofcom is deregualting most of the UK (where there is a choice of 4+ ISP's) but there are no plans for the 0.7% of the population that are under KC's fifedom.  Which means there is still no choice.....   Which is what people want.. 

[xerive]

I think some people arn't educated enough in telecommunication.

KCOM Do not have a monoply ;Other companys just dont want to come into there area because they would have to fit all of there own hardware in KCOM's Exchanges , KCOM are not stopping this but it would cost other ISP's so much to do this because KCOM have over 75,000 Lines with about 90% using ADSL.

If no competition wants to come into the market place then the existing company should be FORCED to split up and thus introduce competition into the marketplace.  I believe this is what used to happen in the good old days of the monopoly and mergers commission.

[Bertie]

If no competition wants to come into the market place then the existing company should be FORCED to split up and thus introduce competition into the marketplace. 

Something has to be done to make Hull attractive to competition, but I am not sure Kcom can be forced to do it on their own.  To get the wires and switches up to standard will take money that Kcom haven't got.

Better to PERSUADE Kcom and the other main providers that all their interests are best served by cooperating.  Finding the solution will be a lot easier once they know how much cash is needed, and how the costs can be shared according to the benefits they take.

[The Dominator]

I agree Bertie but the question that has to be asked is why would KC allow anyone in if they didn't have to?
Whats in it for KC if they were to open up their infrastructure?
What are their benefits, both short and long term?

[Bertie]

For sure, KC are not just going to hold their hands up and say OK the game's up, we got away with it this long, and now we'll reduce our prices and let the competition in.

So in that sense you could say they do have to be forced to give up their monopoly, just as BT have for all but the core infrastructure.

But BT has found that by cooperating with Ofcom to deregulate, it has the stability of a guaranteed market to invest heavily in the new digital infrastructure, and has dynamic and profitable businesses in the competitive user markets.  KC, through Eclipse and other acquistions, is operating in the same space outside Hull.

I think KC can be persuaded that it will be better for Hull and also for themselves if they cooperate to open up the market in Hull.  It just needs Ofcom to propose that Hull should work just the same as Sheffield, Middlesborough or any other urban area you care to mention.

If KC choose to be part of the solution, they will work out how to benefit.