Oftel Seeks To Boost UK Broadband Competition

by Robin Pilgrim, LawAndTax-News.com, London

02 May 2003

The United Kingdom's telecommunications regulator, Oftel, on Monday published its review of the UK's wholesale broadband market.

In its report, Oftel suggested that BT and Kingston (in the Hull area) should continue to provide wholesale broadband services to other operators, but that new obligations should be imposed on them in order to boost competition in the sector.

Under the terms of the regulator's proposals, the companies would be obliged to provide reasonable levels of access to their broadband networks, to create an accounting separation between their wholesale and retail broadband services, and not to discriminate against other operators.

Speaking earlier this week, David Edmonds, Director General of Telecommunications, announced that:

'These measures will support the continued growth in broadband take up by ensuring that consumers have access to a wide range of broadband services at some of the cheapest prices in Europe.'

Oftel's market review of the wholesale broadband market forms part of its drive to implement the new EC Directives on electronic communications, which come into force on July 25.

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