'Innovation' is a word that Matt Bross, CTO of BT, is fond of bandying around when talking about BT's strategy. But is it just an abstract noun he likes to pump out alongside PowerPoint presentations or is there some weight behind his words?
Bross, appointed to BT in 2002 when he moved from US-based Williams Communications, is leading the nationwide 21st Century Network (21CN) project, in which BT will replace copper circuit-switched networks with a single IP-based core infrastructure. The project is expected to take five years to complete and will cost £10bn.
Trials are currently underway in Cardiff, where a huge migration will see 350,000 lines in the city transferred to the new IP-based network.
We recently caught up with Bross at BT's headquarters.
Why did you choose Cardiff?
We chose it for several really good reasons — namely the innovation driving into Cardiff. The Welsh Development Agency and the ecosystem they have developed make it somewhere that trials of this scale have the highest chance of success.
The Welsh understand that communications is an important part of an economy. They have been very productive in saying they will work with us on this. We looked at 23 [criteria] in the metro. [Cardiff] has a very good cross-section of customers. It's a good environment for what we are doing.
Other telcos seem to be watching the 21CN with baited breath. Would you agree that this makes the UK a guinea pig for the world?
If you look at the 21CN, all of the elements that we are doing can be seen in other domains. We are just bringing them together in the UK to make one end-to-end product. We will collect these from the multiple service networks. There are examples of this but not at this scale. What we are doing is absolutely the right thing for the UK. It will bring the world the best innovations.
It's been de-risked by the trials and where elements have been carried out in other countries. I think BT's leadership role in this is unequal. I think it's the human element of this that makes it the most formidable of its kind. These are the things that most operators have challenges with.
Is BT gearing up to become a media company as well?
I think [BT] has moved from being a communications company to a service company and now is moving to an innovation company.
Will operators shift to virtual networks hosted by BT as a result of the 21CN?
BT through our wholesale business supports a significant number of networks and 300 operators. Through the consultancy of the 21CN we established a number of forums. Other operators can tell us of their needs as they can organise themselves. That's something under current discussion.
How do you feel about Marconi being left out of the suppliers list for 21CN, considering the effect it has had on its business?
BT ran the most open and transparent invitation to tender. The core of that was...
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Talkback
The only thing I remember BT doing is holding back on Broadband until someone kicked them in the balls and told them to get on with it