Following the publication of ISPA’s response to the Ofcom Annual Plan 2019/20, the Chair of the Internet Services Providers’ Association Andrew Glover commented:
“Ofcom’s Annual Plan comes at a hugely important time for the industry. As we move into the next phase of digital infrastructure deployment, the entire industry looks to Ofcom to ensure this vision is delivered.
“ISPA is therefore disappointed that a number of important areas are completely overlooked in the proposed Annual Plan. Although there are several proposals in the Plan which ISPA support and looks forward to working on with Ofcom, a lot of key areas would benefit from greater emphasis over the next year.
“ISPA believes that it should be a priority for Ofcom to address these points in its revised Annual Plan:
- Ofcom should consider the business broadband market more thoroughly to develop a more well-rounded understanding of customers, their needs and the forces driving behaviour in this market. To do this effectively Ofcom should take steps to ensure that business connectivity is fully captured in its reporting.
- Measures to protect vulnerable customers should be targeted to benefit the section of the market they are intended to protect. This is closely linked to the need for consistency in the scope of definitions with reference to the business market. The level of protection needed by a vulnerable consumer and a business differ greatly, and Ofcom should target these measures appropriately.
- ISP would like Ofcom to consider in more detail how it can support the industry in adopting measures to facilitate infrastructure switching.
- ISPA wants greater clarification of Ofcom’s role in cyber security regulation as a Competent Authority in the NIS Directive, and on their plans for regulating the industry post-Brexit.
“ISPA is confident that these sticking points can be easily resolved, and we look forward to working further with Ofcom to ensure that these changes are reflected in the Annual Plan.”
You can find ISPA’s full response to the Ofcom Annual Plan 2019/20 here.