Re: [Fsfe-uk] BT Midband

[ian]

On Tue, 2003-06-17 at 17:18, Robert (Jamie) Munro wrote:
> I just signed up for BT Midband (no broadband in my area), in an attempt to
> reduce my £44 128k dialup service costs to the promised £10. Unfortunately,
> they give you some software for Windows, rather than an actual dial up
> service. It /is/ just a simple dial up service (not an always on D channel
> service as some had hoped), and after much argument with the 150 operators,
> I was able to get the dial up number from them.
> 
> I was unable to get the username and password - they say there isn't one.
> Blank doesn't work. I am sure it is probably something like bt and
> btmidband, because authentication is done by the CLID. I will have to try my
> windows box at some time, and see if I can extract the information from it.
> 
> Is campaigning to change things like this on topic for this list?

You could threaten them with the Office of Fair Trading. If two
monopolies (In this case BT and MS) act as a cartel to prevent other
systems getting into the market its illegal. Its arguable that not
making basic information easily available to Linux users thus preventing
them from accessing the service is unlawful. Try writing to the manager
responsible at BT and pointing this out and copying in to the OFTEL. I
think they are likely to be sensitive at BT to anything that might bring
on the wrath of OFTEL. I think we need to make use of the law as much as
possible.

-- 
ian <address@hidden>