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03|04|08

Ofcom publishes its Annual Plan for 2008/9

Ofcom today published its Annual Plan which sets out its work programme for the financial year April 2008 to March 2009.

The plan was developed following consultation with stakeholders, which included public meetings in Glasgow, Dundee, Belfast, Cardiff, Caernarfon and London, attended by over 280 people.

The 2008/9 work programme has been developed within Ofcom’s three-year strategic framework as set out in last year’s Annual Plan, which aims to deliver the benefits of convergence for UK citizens and consumers.

Ofcom’s 2008/9 work programme includes a number of top priority areas which are:

Driving forward a market-based approach to spectrum, including:

• Releasing new spectrum, promoting trading and liberalisation: including the work to award the digital dividend, the spectrum that will be freed-up through digital television switchover.

Promoting competition and innovation in converging markets, including:

• Implementing Ofcom’s strategy for fixed telecoms: ensuring that BT Group plc continues to implement the Undertakings that were agreed as a result of the Telecoms Strategic Review.
• Preparing for next generation core and access networks: maintaining competition in the UK communications sector whilst ensuring that customers are protected as operators invest in the next generation of core and access networks.
• Promoting competition in pay TV: continuing our work to examine the UK pay TV market.
• Developing Ofcom’s approach to mobile: an assessment of Ofcom’s overall approach to regulation of the sector including the implications of convergence and identifying the scope for deregulation, innovation and competition in the mobile market.

Delivering public interest objectives as platforms and services converge, including:

• Promoting access and inclusion: including understanding the obstacles to the delivery and take-up of communications services for all and considering Ofcom’s role in removing or reducing these obstacles.
• Examining future models for public service broadcasting: assessing future options for funding, delivery and regulation of public service broadcasting as convergence continues and content is delivered on new platforms.
• Developing an approach for the evolution of radio: working with the cross-industry Digital Radio Working Group on future digital options for radio broadcasters and simplifying analogue commercial and community radio regulation.

Empowering citizens and consumers and improving regulatory compliance where necessary, including:

• Developing and enforcing consumer protection policies: continuing our efforts to improve the quality of broadband switching and home moves and making progress on our review of the scope, purpose and effectiveness of premium rate services regulation.
• Promoting media literacy: encouraging industry to provide information about content and promoting effective, easy to use tools to empower people to manage their access to media.

Supporting the evolution of the legal and economic frameworks for regulation, including:

• Engaging in development of new EU legislation: continuing to influence the way regulatory policy evolves to best represent the interests of UK citizens and consumers.

See Related Items for the Annual Plan 2008/9.

Detailed information about Ofcom projects, which will be updated every quarter, can be found at the same link above.

Ofcom has also published a progress report on its spectrum work. Ofcom has held four spectrum awards with another three in the pipeline: the ‘L-Band’ (1452 -1492 MHz) and the 2.6 GHz bands to take place later this year and the digital dividend spectrum to be auctioned next year.

A number of spectrum licences have also been varied to allow greater flexibility, the need to hold a licence has been removed for various types of equipment, and spectrum trading has been implemented across a number of different licences.

See Related Items for Ofcom’s Progress on Key Spectrum Initiatives.

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