Public Networks and Telecommunications Service Providers Historically, telecommunications networks have been run by state-owned organizations, who have operated as legally protected monopolies. These organizations tended run telecommunications to in a manner similar other public utility services (electricity, gas, water, etc.), providing only a few to very basic services, but in a reliable and well-engineered fashion, and available at almost any location to anyone who cared to apply. | Networks and Telecommunications Design and Operation Second Edition. Martin P. Clark Copyright 1991 1997 John Wiley Sons Ltd ISBNs 0-471-97346-7 Hardback 0-470-84158-3 Electronic 46 Public Networks and Telecommunications Service Providers Historically telecommunications networks have been run by state-owned organizations who have operated as legally protected monopolies. These organizations tended to run telecommunications in a manner similar to other public utility services electricity gas water etc. providing only a few very basic services but in a reliable and well-engineered fashion and available at almost any location to anyone who cared to apply. Recently the trend has been to privatize the established public telecommunications operator PTO and allow new operators to set up networks in competition. The objectives in so doing are to improve the quality and diversity of available services while simultaneously reducing unit costs and attracting private capital investment in other words there is an attempt to make the PTOs more commercially responsive. Where competition is now a reality the public telecommunications operators PTOs are forced to minimize running costs to work at maximum efficiency and so keep their prices competitive. In addition PTOs are forced to adopt a much more commercial attitude towards marketing and business strategy. This chapter reviews briefly how some of the basic principles of marketing may be applied to a telecommunications marketplace and in addition outlines some of the PTOs options for business development. COMPANY MISSION Like any good business a PTO needs to define its business objectives clearly including its overall mission and its strategy for achieving it. A typical mission of a PTO might be to provide a sufficiently diverse range of telecommunications networks and services to meet business and or residential customers needs 831 832 PUBLIC NETWORKS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE PROVIDERS to provide services of high .
