Annex B: Telecoms Review

Question 1:

In relation to the interests of citizen-consumers, what are the key attributes of a well-functioning telecoms market?

Question 2:

Where can effective and sustainable competition be achieved in the UK telecoms market?

Question 3:

Is there scope for a significant reduction in regulation, or is the market power of incumbents too entrenched?

Question 4:

How can Ofcom incentivise efficient and timely investment in next-generation networks?

Question 5:

At varying times since 1984, the case has been made for structural or operational separation of BT, or the delivery of full functional equivalence. Are these still relevant questions?

Question 6:

How successful is the UK telecoms sector currently in delivering benefits to citizens and consumers?

Question 7:

How rapidly and extensively will fixed and mobile networks become substitutes for one another?

Question 8:

What impact will Voice over IP have on the telecoms market?

Question 9:

How rapidly and extensively will broadband be taken up in the UK, and what are the regulatory implications of such growth?

Question 10:

What scope is there for new, competing broadband platforms to be rolled out, and which technologies are most likely to be used?

Question 11:

When are operators likely to move towards 'all IP' architectures, if at all?

Question 12:

What are the implications of 'all IP' networks for the way networks interconnect with one another, and for the scope of competition?

Question 13:

Is there likely to be widespread demand for services that require 'broaderband' networks to be rolled out and, if so, how will such infrastructure be supplied?

Question 14:

How rapidly are broadband content businesses likely to emerge, and what factors will affect their viability?

Question 15:

How will future network evolution, such as growth of intelligence at the edge of networks, and the increased importance of control over technical standards and interfaces, affect the requirements of telecoms regulation?

Question 16:

Will it become uneconomic for operators to maintain the existing circuit-switched architecture at some point, and if so, when? What regulatory issues will this transition to IP networks raise?

Question 17:

Are consolidation, alliances, market entry or other forms of market evolution likely? What will their implications be for telecoms regulation?

Question 18:

What impact do different regulatory approaches have on investment decisions in telecoms, and what regulatory approaches does this imply that Ofcom should adopt?

Question 19:

What is the right role for consumer policy? What impact do different approaches have on telecoms companies' perceptions of risk and return?

Question 20:

What role should Ofcom take in signposting, providing, or ensuring that the market provides clear information to consumers, enabling them to make effective choices?

Question 21:

How may universal service arrangements need to evolve in response to changes in the telecoms market?