f.
g.
h.
i.
3.
Philippines British Telecom had formed a joint venture with the Philippines long-distance telephone company. GEC and Plessey were again involved and were proving useful partners.
The Solomon Islands The company had offered to form a joint venture company with the local authority. This would involve equity participation. Here again there had been some difficulties with Cable and Wireless.
Japan British Telecom had had for some time a manpower exchange with NTT. Hitherto this had been largely technical. They were now broadening the scope to include commercial personnel.
India British Telecom has a joint venture with Mahindra and Mahindra. They were offering an "overlay system" to link up industrial sites in the Bombay area. They were hoping to work in collaboration with the local telecommunications authority.
As some of you may know, British Telecom's new aggressive international approach has run them into frequent conflict with Cable and Wireless - in some cases thereby ensuring that the contract was awarded to neither company but went to the Japanese instead. Mr Braithwaite and others have repeatedly urged British Telecom to try to come to some agreement with Cable and Wireless. I think that the two Chairmen do not share compatible chemistry; a pity. British interests all too often lose out as a result.
D H Gillmore