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"There Is No Point Complaining About Everything."

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VoicenData Bureau
New Update

As chief

of operation of BT's Global Strategic Markets, Ian McKenzie

is responsible for total operational management of BT's key

markets across the Asia Pacific region. He is a frequent visitor

to India and also a board member of Bharti BT, BT's JV with

Bharti Enterprises in India.



He spoke on a number of strategic issues including BT's positioning
and India strategy to Voice & Data.

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BT is

into almost all areas of communication services in UK. But you

are looking at specific areas internationally…




It is not possible for any operator-including BT-to do all that
it does in its home country. In UK, we are the incumbent operator.

We give everything to our customers.

Do you

think the big service providers will swallow some of the global

bandwidth companies? What about BT?




BT is not in the bandwidth business. We are in the communication
services business. We want to build our bandwidth wherever required.

But our focus is contents and application. We can buy capacity

for 10 years.

What

changes do you see in the communication network of tomorrow?




Today's networks are primarily voice-based. And they are moving
towards data. Our CEO compares it to the transition that happened

in IT industry. The way the market moved from mainframes to

PCs. Data is like PC business, standard-based and open. There

is a movement towards that. And also you need to remember the

way PC prices dropped sharply. It will get repeated.

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What

is your impression about Indian market?




I come here frequently. So I know what is good and bad here.
But what is reported in the media influences my board of directors.

The perception about India is, thus, based on not what I feel

but what the media reports, to a large extent.



Consider investments. India is a strategic market for us. But
we have not really invested so much. As we would have liked

to do. Every investor looks for some stability. But we believe

both India and China are big markets.

But BT

did not enter China when almost all major operators entered

in partnerships with China Unicom…




And look where they are now. That was illegal. That was against
the loopholes. When there is some law of the land, as a respectable

business organization you obey it, not look for loopholes. In

fact, we have taken the formal route, working closely with China

Telecom…

BT is

often accused of taking the backdoor route, entering a market

with the government operators, government agencies…




That is a wrong perception. Yes, we realize that all markets
are different. Change is good and inevitable. But you cannot

change the system the way you want. You cannot impose change.

And there is no point complaining about



everything.

Are you

looking at the DLD market, even before international long distance

is opened up?




Yes. That is an opportunity. We


are interested. It is a very attractive proposition.

But not

many foreign operators are interested…




I cannot talk about others. But BT is surely interested in domestic
long distance services in India.

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