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04|12|08

Ofcom publishes Draft Annual Plan 2009/10

Ofcom today published its draft Annual Plan 2009/10 for consultation. The plan sets out Ofcom’s proposed work programme for the next financial year starting in April 2009.

Priorities for 2009/10

Ofcom sets out four key themes for 2009/10.

They are:

Driving forward a market-based approach to spectrum

• Releasing new spectrum, promoting trading and liberalisation to help the UK get the most from its airwaves. This includes awarding the digital dividend - the spectrum that will be freed-up through digital television switchover - as well as spectrum in the 2.6 GHz band.

Promoting competition and innovation in converging markets

• Promoting competition in fixed telecommunications through a range of market reviews and delivery of BT’s Undertakings.
• Establishing clear regulation for next generation access, which will deliver super-fast broadband, and core networks.
• Promoting competition in pay TV concluding our pay TV market investigation.
• Assessing our regulatory approach to mobile through our Mobile Sector Assessment which considers how mobile regulation should adapt, including scope for deregulation.

Delivering public interest objectives as platforms and services converge

• Recommending to government and Parliament how public service broadcasting should be delivered in future with the publication of our recommendations in the New Year.
• Developing an approach for the evolution of radio: focusing on implications for the future regulation of analogue and digital radio and working with the government, should it decide to introduce new radio legislation.
• Promoting access and inclusion: understanding the obstacles to the delivery and take-up of communications services for all and considering Ofcom’s role in helping people to overcome these obstacles.

Empowering citizens and consumers and improving regulatory compliance

• Developing and enforcing consumer protection policies: including taking enforcement action where necessary, improving the consumer experiences of switching between providers and completing our review of fixed line mis-selling regulations.
• Promoting media literacy: delivering on our media literacy priorities with key partners and working to ensure that information about media and telecommunications services is made available to those sections of society who are not yet online and who may be hard to reach.

See Related Items for the draft Annual Plan 2009/10.

As part of the consultation process Ofcom is holding a series of public events in the Nations and Regions; see Related Items for details.

The consultation closes on 12 February 2009 with a final Annual Plan to be published in March.

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