Infrastructure? TalkTalk smells a rat!

TalkTalk — UK innovator of “free broadband” — does not like the idea of giving Ofcom a greater statutory duty to oversee infrastructure investment in the UK telecoms sector:

‘TTG has serious reservations about this proposal primarily because BIS officials and other government sources have previously suggested that the purpose of the new duty on Ofcom would be to allow BT to charge higher-than-normal prices for LLU and WLR services in order to fund NGA rollout.’

‘More recently, BIS appears to have stepped back from its position and now appears to argue that the amendment would simply be to give Ofcom more “confidence” to promote investment alongside the needs of competition. However, in our discussions with BIS, officials have been unable to point to a single example in the past where Ofcom’s work has been hampered by the lack of any such provision.’

I suppose that’s the big danger of relying on the continuation of a regulatory regime to support the core of your business!

(All … well almost all of the responses to the BIS consultation: here)