BT monopoly to blame for patchy broadband

After reading your article and Editorial comment (Yorkshire Post, May 19) on the lack of fast broadband in the country, I was surprised that the company BT was not mentioned once when reasons for the problem were being sought. It is indeed an appalling situation, one that surely can be laid at the door of BT.

For years now, BT has quite happily collected the landline rental from millions of phone owners in the country, providing little in return.

For, once the landline has been laid down, little or no maintenance, and hence precious little further financial outlay, is required.

So why hasn’t the income from the landline rental been used to provide the nation with a fast broadband service?

BT has certainly dragged its feet in this area. Only now, and far too late for most of us, is it getting to grips with the situation.

It has always puzzled me as to why BT was allowed to keep the landline monopoly at the time of privatisation.

Our water, gas and electricity from a variety of companies come through the same pipe and cable, but BT alone controls our landlines.

One wonders if the broadband network would now be well-developed had this BT monopoly not been present.

I recently looked at the BT website where a broadband map is displayed.

If the map is to be believed, there is precious little high speed broadband in the area of Yorkshire east of the A1 and north of the M62.

If this is in fact the case, it is certainly a disgraceful state of affairs.

One is also entitled to question the inadequate role that Ofcom, the industry regulator, has played.