1. The forum will be convened approximately every 3 months. All meetings will be attended by providers of communications services,representatives of equipment manufacturers or trade bodies or network infrastructure providers and trade bodies. General consumer organisations and groups which represent the interests of a specific group of users of communications services will be invited to alternate meetings. The Chair and Secretary are supplied by Oftel (see below).

2. Attendance at Oftel Forum meetings is by invitation from Oftel. Any qualifying organisation which wishes to attend should, however, feel free to approach the secretary to the Forum; e-mail julia.bradford@oftel.gov.uk Tel: 020 7634 8838

3. The Oftel Forum is intended to be strongly participative, enabling delegates to present their views to Oftel and to each other. Attendance will generally be restricted, therefore, to one delegate per organisation or company/ group of companies. Oftel does not expect to invite individual users of communications services, journalists, financial analysts, lawyers, consultants etc. However, applications from professional advisers who wish to attend as the sole representative of a named provider of communications services/ infrastructure or of a recognised consumer/user organisation will, generally, be accepted.

4. Oftel will use the forum to stimulate early consideration of the implications of forthcoming initiatives for each stakeholder group. Delegates will be invited to propose agenda items, and they will be encouraged to offer presentations and lead discussions. An agenda will be published before each meeting. Whilst the forum, as such, will not be empowered to take decisions on questions of regulatory policy, it is intended to be influential. Minutes will be published.

The Chairman of the Oftel Forum is:

Philip Rutnam - Director of Regulatory Policy.

The Secretary to the Oftel Forum is:

Julia Bradford - Policy Officer

For further information:

For any enquiry about the Forum or if you would like further information please contact the Secretary at the email address shown above.