About the Competition Bulletin

Welcome to Oftel's Competition Bulletin. The Bulletin contains details of competition and other regulatory enforcement casework handled by Oftel's Compliance Directorate. All cases active since 1 March 2003 are accessible on this site, with updates posted as developments occur. You can access previous issues of the Competition Bulletin, which was produced on a quarterly basis, by clicking on the 'Previous Bulletins' button. The Bulletin will be updated as new cases are accepted and the outcome of cases will be published as they are concluded. The Bulletin provides readers with a facility to register to be e-mailed when a new entry appears. This facility can be accessed through the Bulletin home page.

Consultation under the New Directives

In the statement 'Dispute Resolution under the new EU Directives' published by Oftel and the RA in February 2003 (see http://www.oftel.gov.uk/publications/eu_directives/2003/eud0203.htm) Oftel undertook to publish details of cases as they are opened and closed. Through the updated Competition Bulletin, interested parties will be able to see and comment on disputes and complaints received by Oftel.

Issues covered in this introduction

i.Open Cases
ii. Closed Cases
iii. Previous Bulletins
iv. Other competition issues
v. Comments on cases
vi. Competition Hotline

i. Open Cases (access via the 'Open Cases' button)

This section deals with all open cases that Oftel is currently considering. Oftel will publish details of new cases as soon as possible after acceptance. However, readers should be aware that Oftel will only publish details once the complainant has agreed to publication and this can cause a delay. In some circumstances this permission is refused. The open cases section is not therefore necessarily an exhaustive list of all the cases being considered. Once a case has been closed it will be removed from this section and a summary of the outcome will be provided in the closed cases section.

ii. Closed Cases (access via the 'Closed Cases' button)

This section summarises the outcome of each case and gives general guidance on Oftel's approach, which we hope will be of use to the reader. However, it should not be considered to be an exhaustive inventory of precedent.

iii. Previous Bulletins (access via the 'Previous Bulletins' button)

Oftel ceased publishing the Competition Bulletin in its previous format with issue 28. This issue covered cases opened and closed in January and February 2003. Issue 28 and other previous issues are available in this section.

iv. Other competition issues (access via the 'Other Competiton Issues' button)

This section provides details of other competition issues that are not directly related to casework.

v. Comments on Cases

Comments are welcome on any of the cases or other issues, especially new cases, where extra industry input would be useful, as well as proposed remedies. Please contact the relevant case leader.

Alternatively comments can be sent to: Compliance Directorate, Oftel, 50 Ludgate Hill, London EC4M 7JJ; or faxed on 020 7634 8772 marked for the attention of the relevant case leader. In supplying comments or submitting complaints, you should indicate whether you are prepared to let us disclose the full details of the information supplied, including whether you are willing to be identified, in any subsequent correspondence Oftel has with the party under investigation or with other interested parties. Confidential material should be marked as such and not sent via the Internet address. It should be noted that Oftel's experience has shown that it can be difficult to pursue a case successfully if we are not able to provide all the necessary information to the subject of the complaint. For additional information please see 'Making a formal complaint to Oftel - guidance for the telecommunications industry' on Oftel's website (http://www.oftel.gov.uk/publications/ind_guidelines/foco0301.htm) or contact the Directorate for a paper copy. You should also see the document 'The Application of the Competition Act in the Telecommunications Sector' also available on the website (http://www.oftel.gov.uk/publications/ind_guidelines/cact0100.htm).

vi. Competition Hotline

A Competition Hotline (020 7634 8833) is available every day for consultation on competition related issues. The Hotline should be used for new or potential complaints rather than seeking updates on existing cases. The Hotline will also provide potential complainants with guidance on the approach that will be taken in investigations and details of the type of information needed by Oftel to pursue a particular issue.

The Competition Hotline is available between 9:30am and 12 noon, and 2:00pm and 5:30pm Monday to Friday