Telecom Industry: A Study of Direct Marketing - Dissertation Example

This company later was amalgamated, taken over and eventually the control as transferred to state control under the Post Office. This later became a privatized company, British Telecommunications plc. that serves 170 countries as on date. In 1981, the first step to introduce competition was taken in the telecommunication industry in Britain, when the British Telecommunications Act separated the telecommunications form postal services. Finally in 1982, 51% stake of BT was announced to be sold to private investors and in 1984 its shares were sold to public.

Till the 1984 act BT had a monopoly of running telecommunications systems, which was then lost and the telecommunications sector in UK opened up. Still duopoly existed with the set up of Mercury communications. However, this ended in 1990s, and a newer and a justified Telecommunications Policy was formed which facilitated customers to avail telecom services from various competing providers having different technological advancements. Then independent retail players were allowed to bulk-buy telecom capacity and they could sell in packages to domestic as well as institutional users.

This enabled free and fair competition and compete freely and flexible pricing packages to meet the needs of different types of customer. With the opening up of the sector, companies started coming up with structured focus on different market segments, tries studying the specific needs of various types of customers –MNCs, small business houses and firms as well as individuals.