Citizens, Communications and Convergence


Ofcom have produced this discussion paper to “clarify Ofcom’s role in furthering the interests of citizens”. Ofcom’s responsibilities towards citizens come from the Communications Act 2003 and they have a duty to further the interests of both citizens and consumers but recognise these interests can be different and that furthering citizen, rather than consumer, interests may also involve distinct regulatory approaches.

They say that other stakeholders have suggested that there is no practical difference between consumer and citizen interests and that it is not necessary to distinguish between them.

Ofcom say that they need to think in new ways about the outcomes that regulation seeks to deliver for citizens and the mechanisms that are used to deliver them:

  • Changes in the way that internet content is supplied and consumed mean that the existing model of content regulation will need to evolve.
  • The increasing range of services on offer raises the question of which services should be available to all members of society. At the moment, BT (and Kingston in Hull) has a universal service obligation that requires it to provide a phone line to anyone who wants one, and to do so at a reasonable cost. Over time, there may be calls for additional services, such as higher-speed broadband, to be made available more widely.

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BT welcomes comments on the content of this document. Comments should be addressed by email to Pete Turnbull.