Major OFCOM report released

The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union released in 2002 Directive 2002/21/EC on a common regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services in 2002. Anticipating on the convergence of the telecommunications, media and information technology sectors, networks and services are covered by a single regulatory framework. Since then, most country’s in Europe have released new Communication Acts.

Ofcom is the regulator for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services. Ofcom exists to further the interests of citizen-consumers as the communications industries enter the digital age.

This month, Ofcom released the first in a series of annual Communication Market reports, The Communications Market 2004. I strongly advise everybody who is interested in business and regulator affairs to read the Overview. Ofcom is by my knowledge, the first communication regulator in the world, which really has an interesting overview across the electronic communications sector, covering television, radio and telecoms. Today, I only summarize chapter 2 of the overview, concerning recent major developments:

1. Radio spearheads the move towards convergence,
2. Progress towards a digital UK continues,
3. Household usage of communications services increase,
4. Public service broadcasting continues to face challenges,
5. Increased competition in telecoms – consolidation in broadcasting,
6. International regulatory developments (not the most informative section, Hotze),
7. The balance of industry finance shifts

Of course, the report gives a wealth of facts and stories from across the communications industries. But that’s not what makes this report so important. The importance is that Ofcom leading the way by showing how a regulator can contribute to the rapid development of converging communications markets.