Isle Of Man Communications

[partypolitics]

Blank

[Slim]

Why we are not allowed to see the Charter they sign with the government?

 

No idea, but if you can't then you probably should be able to.

 

Why do we get charged £20 line rental for production of a Telephone book (which makes £1m from advertising anyway*) and free directory enquiries (which is now being converted to the 118 system)?

 

I agree with this, I'd rather have a choice of paying for a telephone book and not subsidise the offices who get hundreds of the things. Directory enq remains free, i think the 118 is on top.

 

Why are companies not allowed to operate a system of which their employees are given free mobiles by their employer with the calls only used internally for business use paid for by the employer, any external numbers paid for by the staff member?

 

I think you are allowed to do this, the license was revised iirc? I gather the license was changed to accomodate the govt's unified mobile comms system? You can certainly do this with voice over ip, if you can set up the infrastructure. As far as I know, the telecoms license applies to providing public telephone services.

 

Why was the Isle of Man billed as the first place for 3G to go live? The money for the infrastructure was paid for by us, yet where is my Manx 3G phone? Did MM02 use the Isle of Man to gain government grants and not offer the service they designed back to the very people who paid for the development?

 

Was a bid odd this, but MT is a private company and my guess is they took a commercial decision that rolling out the infastructure to support 3g here on the island wasn't worth it. I think the 3g trials had a very limited coverage.

 

How can they obtain 60% increase in profits in the very year they built the new Telecom centre? *

 

Private company can operate how it likes.

 

Why can they say they need X amount of profits to improve the communications infrastructure? Wouldn’t every company love to state they need an 80% increase in profits!?*

 

Private company can operate how it likes.

 

Justify their mobile roaming charges?

 

Private company can operate how it likes. It's up to the consumer to accept it or reject it in this case. We appear to accept it.

 

How can they enforce the fact you must use their own ISP for internet usage, of which the charges are over the going rate of the rest of the UK?

 

They don't, you can use another isp. In fact with domiciliums 2.5g wirless network you can have internet without touching anything of MT's.

 

Why are they allowed to be called 'Manx' Telecom if the company was registered in Holland?

 

You can call a company whatever the heck you like, wherever its registered. It's just a name like. I'll bet there's plenty of companies named after other countries registered in the isle of man.

 

Why did the Isle of Man allow for MM02, a mobile network, to take over the British Telecom franchise of the Isle of Man communications networks?

 

What's it got to do with the Isle of Man? BT span off its mobile division, which was structured in such a way that some fixed line networks reported into it. It was a commercial decision by BT, nowt to do with the Isle of Man. MMO2 didn't take it over, it was spun off BT and floated.

 

Why did the Isle of Man government make the initiative of being an ‘e’ island vanish?

 

In what way? There's still some very generous government assistance available for 'e' type stuff, and a commitment to encorage that kind of business to operate here.

 

These are some questions that people may want to try and answer. I am only providing these questions as we face ever increasing pressures of excess charges from all utilities on the Isle of Man. Don’t get me wrong, the service they do provide is good, we just need to think a little more when handing out lengthy charters?!

 

I'm not a big fan of manx telecom. I think the lack of a competitive environment means they lack innovation and efficiencies that a company in a natural market must face. You do have to accept that we are a very small market though, so must put up with a certian amount of this stuff.

 

The only solution I can think of is that the government own the infrastructure and lease it out to companies like MT, then it doesn't have to cut a profit.

[Declan]

Private company can operate how it likes.

 

Unless a regulator (the communications commitee?) interferes? Also if, for example, roaming charges became subject to adverse comment from the government etc might MT (with an eye on future charters) re-consider the charges? Does the Communication Commision operate in the way OFFCOM seems to, or are it's powers limited to the awarding of licences?

 

Some good questions from PP and interesting answers from Slim.

[Tee]

Why did the Isle of Man government make the initiative of being an ‘e’ island vanish?

 

I might be taking this the wrong way.... but doesn't the goverment still subsidise the installment of BB? so that statement isn't exactlly true.

[shamus]

The MEA has produced technology of internet access through the 13 amp socket (at least five times faster than broadband)and also the ability for free phone calls as well.

 

Has not the Manx Government cocked up giving the next 15 years a franchise to MT which has made millions that go off shore?

 

What the hell is going on here?

 

Where is the hold up?

 

MEA has the technology and MT the experience. Surely something could be done so no jobs are lost but the IOM gets fast internet access and cheap phone calls?

 

Everyone can gain here. except 02, MT's parent company but stuff them!

[Billy One Mate]

It is my understanding that the cables could have a charge on them from Barclays in relation to the loans.

[Slim]

The MEA has produced technology of internet access through the 13 amp socket (at least five times faster than broadband)and also the ability for free phone calls as well.

 

Utterly irrelivant. You can go up to 2mb on broadband over regular copper phone cables. The fact that you don't have it is because the bandwidth is prohibitavely expensive, not because of a limitation in the delivery technology.

 

Regular phone lines can also have the ability for free phone calls, you just have to sign up for it.

 

Has not the Manx Government cocked up giving the next 15 years a franchise to MT which has made millions that go off shore?

 

The only monopoly manx telecom has is public phone calls over a phone network, as far as I know. You can buy internet from domicilium and use skype to make your phone calls if you don't want to use MT. There's also, I gather, no restriction on other mobile operators coming here, they just don't want to as it's not cost effective.

 

Everyone can gain here. except 02, MT's parent company but stuff them!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Eh?

[Slim]

That’s all very well and very kind of the government to pay for the installation. In theory they are allowing the monopoly to exist with the installations with Manx Telecom.

 

You can buy adsl from manx telecom, mannet and domicilium. Hows that a monopoly?

 

I thought the whole 'e' initiative was to be pro active in the global sense of e-commerce? Agree or disagree?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Did you just ignore the other points? Look here.

[shamus]

The problem is that MT own the infrastructure.

 

The phone lines to peoples homes is privately owned and that is wrong.

 

Government should own such lines like they do the water and electricity lines/cables.

 

No private monopoly should have any control of the infrastructure in my view.

 

And also the gas mains should be owned by government.

 

May be if it had have been there would not have been the disgraceful mess created by Primeshade in the gas conversion last year.

[simon]

There's also, I gather, no restriction on other mobile operators coming here, they just don't want to as it's not cost effective.

 

The reason why it isn't cost effective? Because they would have to set up entirely new networks. Which won't happen.

 

The UK mobile companies are not allowed to extend their UK mobile networks locally such that they would include the IOM. Local UK network cells would mean no more roaming charges for visitors from the UK - or for us when we visit the UK.

 

There is no technical reason for them not to do this. It's only a matter of the legislation. And political will. Manx Telecom Pronto would retain an historical local advantage for a while - since it would offer greater island wide coverage.

 

But there is no good reason why a UK licence shouldn't be valid here. ***IMO****. Then the IOM could exist as an area covered by the UK networks. It's a matter of history - justified by arguments from the days when setting up and extending networks was very much more expensive than it is now.

 

There isn't any good reason (any more) for the IOM to operate as a different licencing jurisdiction with respect to mobile telephones.

 

If enough voters demanded that the IOM should now allow the UK operators to operate the UK networks here then it would happen.

 

It makes no sense that some communications are licenced locally whilst other aspects are licenced from the UK. One single system would make much more sense IMO.

[Broadcaster]

Simon, It would not matter how many voters demanded UK mobile phone operators be allowed to operate here, its down to the licenses issued by the British Government which dictates the area of coverage.

[simon]

Simon, It would not matter how many voters demanded UK mobile phone operators be allowed to operate here, its down to the licenses issued by the British Government which dictates the area of coverage.

 

Which is the result of an historical arrangement between the IOM and UK governments - and which could be changed. The UK government would have no reason to oppose that arrangement being changed. And it does us no good. The only reason that we are a distinct communications jurisdiction (sometimes) is because it once seemed like a good idea. It isn't still a good idea.

 

But it's slightly more than that, isn't it? The local licences (equally) don't allow the UK operators to operate local cells here which exist as an extension of the UK (billing) networks. Or tell me I'm wrong

 

And it is basically only a billing issue. Anymore. Only politics stands in the way of this system being changed.

 

And it's more than a bit daft that some communications are (superficially) licenced locally whilst other aspects are licenced directly from the UK.

[Broadcaster]

“Which is the result of an historical arrangement between the IOM and UK governments” quote

 

Sorry Simon, but the licenses issued to the various mobile phone companies restrict them to the UK, the Isle of Man is not a part of the UK and that’s the bottom line.

 

You might as well demand that UK phone companies are allowed to operate cells in France or Belgium etc.

 

The licenses are a matter of law, which is governed by territories.

[simon]

Sorry Simon, but the licenses issued to the various mobile phone companies restrict them to the UK, the Isle of Man is not a part of the UK and that’s the bottom line.

 

You might as well demand that UK phone companies are allowed to operate cells in France or Belgium etc.

 

The licenses are a matter of law, which is governed by territories. 

 

The IOM has never been a part of the UK AFAIK. Local licensing of communications is relatively recent (starting in the 1960s IIRC) and is a different matter. It was a mistake at the time (as some rightly argued then).

 

It's also a matter which could be changed. There really isn't any need to be sorry There isn't any reason why the various legislation could not be brought up to date for the common good. There isn't any good reason for us to exist as a semi autonomous communications jurisdiction. Especially given that this autonomy is so partial - it covers only some (largely commercial) matters.

 

We have no national interest in maintaining local control of commercial communications licences. And there is no local political interest in controlling strategic traffic via the IOM - and over which we have no control. Therefore, IMO, there is no point in us maintaining any degree of partial local authority. It's pointless and expensive. It can be done better elsewhere.

 

But more than that - and very simply - there is no reason whatsoever why the cell phone licences could not be called "UK and IOM". For example. Without anyone even needing to worry about our exact status wrt the UK.

 

It's entirely possible to change the arrangements.

[Busby]

Everone's missing the point here... There is no reason at all why 02 couldn't have a knock for knock arrangement where they carry each others calls - much like the mail delivery works.

 

I resent the fact that I buy a PAYG sim on the Island I can only use it on the Island and pay, probably the highest charges in europe. I can buy a PAYG sim in the UK and use it anywhere in europe! If its an 02 sim I can even use it over here but pay higher charges than if I was in Spain!

 

Simple fact is, if another operator was alowed on the Island MT would lose revenue and someone has a reason not to let that happen [another conspiracy theory?]

 

Its a total wase of time talking to the comms commision - you would think, after talking to them, that you were actually taking to MT's PR department. Total waste of space...

 

BTW - I was on holiday in Spain last summer and I could call the IOM from Spain for 20 Cents a min using my Spanish SIM - how's that for value? At that time MT were charging 35/25p per min...

 

Free miniutes? Naaa

Free Texts? You kidding!

Free calls to friends and family [on your mobile] - you wish

Cheap Picture messaging - in your dreams!

Surf the net on your PAYG - ha ha

Send a picture to other networks? - mmm one day maybe

Is this the price we have to pay living on an Island??