There's a lot of excitement about WiMax at the moment. What's your take?
It is very important, because it does offer an opportunity to come up with new network architecture that may work from a cost perspective.
Do you agree with people who are saying that WiMax is the solution to the problem of the digital divide?
I think it could be, but I see WiMax as part of the 2010 solution. If I was planning a UK network based on WiMax I'd be looking at a 2007 launch.
BT is doing a lot better, broadband-wise, than a few years ago. Do you think we'll face new problems when we begin to need much faster broadband speeds?
Ben Verwaayen (BT chief executive) is a very good guy, with a good track record of working in very difficult, competitive environments. When he was appointed there were people in the city asking who he was, but he's achieving real change in the way that BT thinks.
BT is changing, and we're trying to engage in that process. We've criticised them, and we've also complemented them. I think they were surprised when we welcomed their announcement of trigger levels for almost all local exchanges. We'd lobbied for universal trigger levels, as we just wanted to know the situation so we could do the planning.
We'd also like BT to be more open about its 21st Century Network project. We don't know what it is, just what it's called and who is involved with it. They should open up a bit about their strategic thinking, and BT should be able to do that without compromising its commercial work.
But them trying to do it all internally, I don't think it's the right strategy. They need to work more with the people.
So ABC hasn't spoken to them at all about the 21st Century Network project?
No, we've just heard the rumours like everyone else.
