BT's shifting stance toward broadband delivery changed again last week, as outgoing BT Wholesale chief operating officer John Davies said that DSL technology would not play a dominant role in the company's future plans.

"Broadband is not just a DSL landscape and DSL will have to learn to survive among many other players," said Davies. "We are in a Jurassic age of broadband populated by dinosaurs."

Davies' comments at a Berlin forum came on the heels of BT's multimillion-pound promotion of DSL, which in turn followed years of reluctance to update BT exchanges to handle the technology. Alternatives to DSL include wireless, satellite and fibre in the last mile.

Cisco's director of service provider marketing, Michael Bayer, also argued that DSL would have a limited role: "Cisco is not convinced that DSL is the answer for business broadband going forward, though it will continue to play a part in the residential market."

Both companies argued that the government has a major part to play in encouraging the construction of the UK's broadband infrastructure. "Governments will be forced to make grand gestures of support, and broadband, not DSL, could become a manifesto pledge of politicians," said Davies.

Have your say: contact IT Week