This document summarises the main elements of the review that Ofcom is conducting into the UK’s digital communications markets. This is our first strategic assessment of the telecommunications sector in ten years and only the second since Ofcom was established.
The aim of the review is to make sure digital communications markets continue to work for consumers, citizens and businesses. It considers future policy challenges across fixed, mobile and content sectors, including:
- investment and innovation, delivering widespread availability of services;
- sustainable competition, delivering choice, quality and affordable prices;
- empowered consumers, able to take advantage of competitive markets; and
- targeted regulation where necessary, deregulation elsewhere.
Since announcing the review in March 2015 we have met with a variety of stakeholders including companies we regulate, consumer groups, industry observers, academic experts and public bodies. We also held a stakeholder forum in May and a series of workshops.
This document is consulting stakeholders more formally. We hope to hear from everyone involved in digital communications services, including consumers, businesses, communications providers and public bodies, from across the UK’s nations and regions. We are also interested in the views of policy makers and legislators who set the statutory framework that we operate in. Our aim in publishing this document is to ensure that any conclusions we reach are based on an accurate assessment of all available evidence. We are keen to hear from those with alternative views on our analysis, or wish to offer their own.
We have not at this stage made any proposals for changes to our regulatory strategy and approaches. We will consider all consultation responses and evidence within our emerging views document due for publication at the end of the year. Our emerging views document will include any proposals to change our regulatory strategy. Any changes may be implemented through the current legislative framework. Alternatively, it is possible we might recommend legislative change either to the European Framework or domestic legislation.
This consultation will close on 8 October 2015.
Strategic Review of Digital Communications: Discussion document (PDF, 1.7 MB)
