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.
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.
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.