Ofcom – the independent media and communications regulator – has appointed Peter Black – as the independent telecoms adjudicator.
Black is tasked with the job of overseeing the future development and rollout of higher speed broadband services, delivered through that old regulatory chesnut – local loop unbundling.
Ofcom has begun a market review of local loop unbundling [...]
Here is a good article by Declan McCullagh on the status of VoIP regulation in the United States. McCullagh states that the regulatory process is
. . . fraught with problems. For all the hype surrounding VoIP, it remains a fledgling industry that could be severely–perhaps even permanently–harmed if Congress veers in the wrong direction.
Again, [...]
UNI : UK : Unions call on Regulator to promote investment in network
UNI Telecom affiliates, the Communication Workers Union and Connect have called on Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, to help promote investment in the UK’s network – and concentrate on giving UK citizens access to the best possible telecoms services.
The call was made as [...]
spiked-essays | Essay | ‘Communication ethics’ and the new censorship
Interesting piece on spiked.com. It states:
“Ofcom was ostensibly intended to reduce the burden of regulation, in an already heavily regulated communications sector. But in assuming the responsibilities of the UK’s previous broadcasting, telecoms and internet regulators, and in assuming new responsibilities all of its own, Ofcom [...]
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has given the BBC just under four months to redefine the remit for its online services, following the publication today of the findings of a major independent review.
The review, conducted by Phillip Graf will feed into the DCMS’ ongoing Charter Review.
Overview of recommendations:
The remit and the strategic objectives which guide BBC [...]
Scotsman.com News – UK – Licence fee ’secure for next 10 years at least’
Scotsman reports:
A policy document prepared for this September�s Labour Party conference recommends that the licence fee should stay and that the BBC should remain the nation�s pre-eminent public sector broadcaster.
The policy document, which will be presented at this autumn�s Labour Party [...]
The Communications Management Association is using this week�s Enterprise Telecoms show in London to call on telecoms watchdog Ofcom to deliver for UK business.
The CMA, which represents corporate telecoms users, is to use its Broadband Britain sessions to promote its submission to Ofcom�s strategic review into the telecoms market.
The CMA�s submission focuses on broadband availability [...]
FT – TV coverage of poorer countries comes under fire
A coalition of charities today launched an attack on television broadcasters and Ofcom over a fall in coverage of developing countries.
3WE, which includes charities such as Oxfam, Amnesty International, Unicef-UK and ActionAid, argues factual television coverage of the developing world has halved to its lowest level [...]
A working paper published on Tuesday by the European Commission provides for the first time both quantitative and qualitative data on consumers� satisfaction with services of general interest (such as telecommunications, energy, post, water, transport) in the enlarged European Union.
See pages 80 and 81 for results regarding access, price and transparency of telecommunications services [...]
Ofcom has a friend in Richard Allan, MP – who proposed a Early Day Motion (EDM) in the House of Commons yesterday to praise the regulators consultation on mis-selling of fixed line telephone services.
MIS-SELLING OF LANDLINE TELEPHONE SERVICES – 1420
Mr Richard Allan, MP
That this House welcomes Ofcom’s consultation on protecting consumers from the mis-selling [...]
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