BAA still found that it had to purchase private circuits from BT, and that BT had no incentive to reduce prices due to the lack of competition in the provision of private circuits. It also stated that the provision of infrastructure by other operators was increasing. The Panel was not convinced that the price of private circuits in the UK was comparable to the rest of Europe. Oftel then asked whether the Panel believed that price control should be reinstated in those areas where it was withdrawn in 1997. The consensus seemed to be that this would be a regressive step.
Large businesses obtain benefits due to their expenditure on telecommunications services.
A discussion then evolved about the complexities associated with purchasing telecommunications services. In general, businesses would wish one operator to meet all their telecommunications requirements. John Skelton gave a presentation on Energis' company strategy, market developments and opportunities for large business. The presentation was followed by a discussion with the Panel members. Energis believed that good corporate relations and Independent Service Provider connections would keep it at the forefront of telecommunications innovation.