We have today published our proposed plan of work for 2022/23, outlining our priorities for the next financial year.
People in the UK are increasingly reliant on communications networks for the way we live, work, shop and use public services – from video calls with loved ones, to remote working, to streaming in ultra-high-definition, or tracking parcel deliveries being delivered to our homes. And we’re spending more time online than ever before.
The need for faster, more reliable broadband and mobile networks has never been important, as so many services rely on them. People also need to be able to lead a safer life online, and trust in the content and platforms they come across.
We expect the industries we regulate to experience significant further transformation over the next few years. In the face of this continued change we will maintain our focus on three central outcomes for consumers across the UK.
Internet we can rely on. We will continue to prioritise the creation of competitive markets to support investment in gigabit-capable broadband networks and fast mobile services. Ensuring that consumers are treated fairly and have access to affordable options will remain central to our approach. Reliability does not just mean fast speeds and a good service; it also means resilience against cyber-attacks and the ability to withstand threats from bad actors.
Media we trust and value. We will continue to support UK-based public service media, including high-quality national, regional and local news and current affairs, to ensure it remains available and prominent to the public across the nations. And at a time when there is a wide variety of voices on different sides of many public debates, our role as the independent regulator of broadcast content is more important than ever: maintaining standards while upholding freedom of expression.
Helping you to live a safer life online. Our aim is to bring transparency and accountability to online services, ensuring that they meet their new duties of care to their users. As we do this, we will build on our track record of upholding media standards, supporting freedom of expression and promoting innovation.
We will continue to support people and businesses across the wide range of sectors we work with. This includes our role managing the UK’s spectrum and our role overseeing the universal postal service.
Seven themes for our work over the next year
- Investment in strong, secure networks
- Getting everyone connected
- Fairness for customers
- Enabling wireless services in the broader economy
- Supporting and developing UK media
- Serving and protecting audiences
- Establishing regulation of online safety
We welcome responses to our proposed plan of work by 9 February 2022. You can respond via the Ofcom website. We will publish our final plan in March 2022.
We will also be holding virtual event to gain feedback on our proposed plan. We will publish our final plan in March 2022.