Ofcom initiate mobile sector assessment
Ofcom today announced a mobile sector assessment. Check it out here.
Maybe it’s the nature of this website — I usually rag on Ofcom too much, but I think today’s announcement is welcome news for a number of reasons:
– It’s called an assessment, not the Future of Mobile. ‘Future of’ consultations always sound too ambitious and leave the regulator open to ridicule when the future looks a bit different … in the future.
– Importantly, it asks about deregulation.
– The approach: simple questions and a manageable document, means it is one of the first big-picture consultations that most consumers can get their arms around. Some of the other 100-page plus consultations have been unnecessarily complex. Who knows, maybe this assessment is too open-ended and won’t produce a sharp enough record? We’ll see…
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An iphone in every pocket…
Some of Ofcom’s conclusions are noted below:
- Innovation is flourishing. Consumers are using more text and data services, whilst mobile internet access has taken off. Ofcom also note that mobile handsets can do more while costing less.
- This assessment is based on the extent of competition within the current market structure. Any significant change in the market structure may affect competitive pressures in the industry, and they would asses such changes on their own merits.