§ 39. Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what telecommunications services BT is able and willing to provide but is prevented from doing so by the regulatory regime.
§ Mr. Ian TaylorBT can offer any telecommunications service to non-residential customers and any non-broadcast services to residential customers. Broadcast entertainment services can only be provided by the holder of the relevant local franchise. BT has the same opportunities as other companies to obtain these local franchises, and the Command Paper on Broadband Communications published last November encouraged BT to apply for new franchises when these are advertised by the Independent Television Commission. If successful, BT could use its existing infrastructure for all services within the franchise area.