Ofcom proposes new rules to ensure competition exists in fibre market

The central pillar of UK telecom regulation for some thirty years has been to increase competition and regulate the pricing that BT charges, either at the wholesale or retail level. A large degree of freedom was afforded to the BT Group and Openreach when the fibre based broadband roll-outs started in 2009 and the price of the FTTC services or equivalent products in the areas where FTTP is the native option has pretty much remained static, while the retail pricing has slowly crept down, offset in part by the increases in voice line rental.

Now that fibre based services are popular to the extent of some 2.7 million connections on the Openreach network Ofcom is making moves to ensure that the BT Group does not manipulate pricing so that competitors cannot compete. Effectively what we will see is the price of BT Retail fibre based services kept high so that TalkTalk and Sky can undercut them.

Today’s proposals preserve that pricing flexibility, while seeking to ensure that BT does not set prices in such a way that prevents other operators from competing profitably for superfast broadband customers. In May, Ofcom announced its intention to set out proposals on this issue.
Ofcom is proposing to put in place a regulatory condition requiring BT to ensure that the margin between its wholesale VULA charges and its retail superfast broadband prices is sufficient for rival operators to compete and make a profit.
Extract from Ofcom announcement
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/6499-ofcom-proposes-new-rules-to-ensure-competition-exists-in-fibre-market.html

Developed a new radio technology and need regulatory space? Look here.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/spectrum/map.html

ISPreview: Ofcom Begins Consultation on Future Spectrum for UK Mobile Broadband

The interesting bit is:

The Identified Spectrum Bands

White Spaces (600MHz):

Around 20 organisations are currently participating in a 6 month pilot to road-test ‘white space’ technology, which harnesses the spare spectrum that exists between digital terrestrial TV channels for data and Internet communications (e.g. rural broadband provision). At present this is focused on the 700MHz (DTTV) band but after around 2018 if DTTV is moved into 600MHz then White Spaces would most likely follow.

700MHz:

While no decisions have yet been made, Ofcom is investigating the potential to rearrange the bands used for Digital Terrestrial TV (DTTV). This could release more of this prime spectrum for mobile broadband (possibly 5G) use sometime after 2018, while ensuring that consumers would continue to have the opportunity to benefit from digital terrestrial TV (the preliminary idea is that TV could be moved into the 600MHz band).

2.7GHz:

The 2.7GHz band is currently being used for radar but Ofcom believes that it could potentially release up to 100MHz of spectrum from here for other uses.

2.3GHz, 3.4 GHz:

Ofcom is working closely with the Ministry of Defence (here) to move this spectrum from the public sector into commercial use. This spectrum is suitable for mobile broadbandand could be released through an auction in 2015-16. The public sector has access to just over half of the UK spectrum, and Ofcom is working with Government to identify ways of increasing opportunities for commercial access in the future.

Note: similar spectrum between 3480 – 3500MHz and 3580 – 3600MHz (3.4-3.6GHz) is already under licence for civil use by UK Broadband (PCCW), which has since launched it its own fixed wireless 4G LTE network in places like Scunthorpe and Swindon

3.6GHz:

The 3.6GHz band is used for Satellite links but Ofcom believes that some of it could be shared with mobile users.

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2013/11/ofcom-begin-consultation-future-spectrum-uk-mobile-broadband.html

Ofcom Clears UK 800MHz Airwaves for Launch of 4G Mobile Broadband

Title and link has all the information really. 

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2013/07/ofcom-clears-uk-800mhz-airwaves-for-launch-of-4g-mobile-broadband.html

Ofcom UK Reveal 5 Winners of Superfast 4G Mobile Broadband Spectrum

Looks like Vodafone went and spent a fair bit to get as much bandwidth as possible.

Interesting that 3 and O2 pretty much ignored the 2.6GHz spectrum also. You'd think they want some of that for better coverage.


http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2013/02/ofcom-uk-reveals-5-winners-for-superfast-4g-mobile-broadband-spectrum.html

Ofcom announce the 4G auctions bidders

Interesting not to see Virgin in there as they were running some 4G trials.

BT are in the mix via Niche Spectrum Ventures Limited.

I was kinda hoping for a surprise from a a big name fixed line ISPs but it seems they aren't interested.

B Sky B have The Cloud.

TalkTalk operate an MVNO

So I guess they consider the fix line market a core technology for another generation at least.

Going forward with fibre, the speeds will certainly beat 4G but 4G does bring down the latency on mobile connections. It'll be interesting when there is a mature 4G network in place, we might see more and more people willing to forgo a fixed line to save costs.

Thinkbroadband:
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/5637-ofcom-announce-the-4g-auctions-bidders.html

5G mobile network news.

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/5573-4g-auction-not-over-but-time-to-start-talking-5g.html

The Register: Ofcom: 4G won't knock out granny's personal alarm

The register: http://www.reghardware.com/2012/08/16/4g_srd_interference/

3 UK ISPs Snub BSG Launch of New UK Net Neutrality Code of Practice

I think the interesting thing here is Three are happy to be part of the code and the other mobile operators aren't (They have been well known to restrict VoIP traffic)...

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2012/07/bsg-launch-of-new-uk-net-neutrality-code-of-practice-snubbed-by-isps.html

Ofcom telecoms-complaints-bulletin page.

Ofcom: http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/enforcement/telecoms-complaints-bulletin/

Just posted here for reference really.