The first CUT is the deepest: Telecoms champion bows out

NEWS The influential Campaign for Unmetered Telecoms (CUT) has dissolved itself, claiming that it's achieved everything it set out to do. Attendees at the Campaign's third annual general meeting declared unanimously that "after three years of effort, the Campaign had fulfilled its objectives - sustainable unmetered telecommunications at reasonable cost in the United Kingdom." The Campaign was formed by disillusioned customers of Videotron, who had enjoyed unmetered access before the company was merged into Cable and Wireless. With the merger, their unmetered off-peak charges were removed, and the group formed to campaign for unmetered narrowband dial-up internet access across the UK. Three years on, this goal has been largely achieved. In fact, says CUT founder Erol Ziya, the group considered disbanding at last year's AGM, but it took the decision to refocus on broadband. "We found that there simply wasn't the same consensus of views around broadband access as there was around narrowband," says Ziya. "We decided that CUT simply wasn't the vehicle to take those issues forward." So, while the campaign's mission statement on its website says it was established to press for "the availability of unmetered narrowband and broadband telecommunications at reasonable cost to everyone in the United Kingdom", the broadband part is still far from complete. A survey today revealed the UK has some of the most expensive broadband prices in the world, and the country regularly comes near the bottom of rankings for broadband performance in developed nations. However, CUT made a considerable impact in the fight for cheaper access to the internet. Over 10,000 people signed up to its online petition, and spokespeople from the group were regularly quoted in various media, including silicon.com. Ziya said: "When we started, the issue of flat-rate narrowband access wasn't on the agenda, in the internet press, the mainstream press, in government circles or in Oftel. But two years later, we found ourselves working with government to develop [the first fixed-rate internet access product from BT], Friaco." Remaining campaign funds have been forwarded to HumanITy, a charity devoted to tackling the social exclusion problems caused by the IT revolution. Ziya and other members of CUT will continue to campaign on an individual basis.