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Ofcom the New Communications
Regulator: NIACT Hopes They Will Listen
The Communications Bill that puts Ofcom
forward as the new communications regulator received Royal Assent
on July 17th . The Northern Ireland Advisory Committee for Telecommunications
(NIACT) is pleased to announce their work to amend the bill
to include a statutory committee of Ofcom for Northern Ireland
was successful but NIACT remains concerned about Ofcom's commitment
to serve the consumers of Northern Ireland.
Courtenay Thompson, Chairman of NIACT, is pleased that the lobbying
work NIACT has done to ensure a statutory committee of Ofcom
for Northern Ireland and a statutory member of the Ofcom Consumer
Panel was successful. Mr Thompson feels that NIACT also played
an important role in getting the government to focus the communications
bill on the consumer.
Despite these successes Mr Thompson still
has serious concerns for the telecommunications consumers in
Northern Ireland.
'While the Communications bill allows
for a statutory committee of Ofcom for Northern Ireland it did
not specify how many members that committee will have. The consumer
panel and content board of Ofcom have only allowed for one member
from Northern Ireland. NIACT is keen to ensure that the Northern
Ireland statutory committee has sufficient numbers to represent
all the communities and issues in Northern Ireland. It would
be an impossible task for one member to be able to represent
all the views and communities of Northern Ireland. A businessperson
in Belfast will not understand the issues faced by a librarian
in Clogher.'
NIACT is also concerned that the large number of issues unique
to Northern Ireland, our political situation and the international
border that contributes to a lot of individualities will not
be addressed properly if the consumer panel or content board
of Ofcom do not have stronger representation from Northern Ireland-
cross border television programming and advertising will also
form a large part of Ofcom's responsibility. Mr Thompson continued:
' There is a great risk that Northern
Ireland issues will go unnoticed unless we can persuade the
members of Ofcom who are setting up the regional committees
to include specific consumer representation for Northern Ireland.
Without this in place Ofcom will be free to neglect issues of
importance to Northern Ireland, leaving the region and its consumers
in a vulnerable position at the very time we are trying to dramatically
improve communications links so that our businesses can compete
on a world class playing field and consumers get a first rate
telecommunications service.'
If there is no Northern Ireland ownership
of Ofcom, its ability to work effectively in Northern Ireland
and address these issues of concern will be seriously undermined.
NIACT would like to encourage those who are concerned to contact
Ofcom. Please contact the NIACT office for further details at
niact@acts.org.uk or 0845 714 5000.
Notes to Editors:
Courtenay Thompson, DL will be available for interview and comment.
Please contact Jane Carter at NIACT on niact@acts.org.uk or
028 9024 2631.
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