Ofcom (The Office Of Communications) are the United Kingdom's regulatory body for telecommunications. This means they are responsible for making sure that the law is followed by television and radio broadcasters. They regulate the TV and radio sectors, fixed line telecoms, mobiles, postal services, plus the airwaves over which wireless devices operate, they make sure that people in the UK get the best from their communications services and are protected from scams and sharp practices, while ensuring that their is competition.
Ofcom operates under a number of Acts of Parliament and other legislation, (which is also called the 'Ofcom Act'). These acts include (but they are not limited to) The Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006; The Broadcasting Acts 1990 and 1996; The Digital Economy Act 2010; The Postal Services Act 2011; The Competition Act 1998 and The Enterprise Act 2002. Ofcom must act within the powers and duties set for it by Parliament in legislation. The Communications Act says that Ofcom’s principal duty is to further the interests of citizens and of consumers, where appropriate by promoting healthy competition. Meeting this duty is at the heart of everything that they do.
Accountable to Parliament, they set and enforce regulatory rules for the sectors for which they have responsibility. They also have powers to enforce competition law in those sectors, alongside the Competition and Markets Authority. Ofcom is funded by fees from industry for regulating broadcasting and communications networks, and grant-in-aid from the Government. Ofcom's main decision making body is the Board, which provides strategic direction for the organisation, it has a Non-Executive Chairman, Executive Directors (including the Chief Executive), and Non-Executive Directors. The
- the Broadcasting Standards Commission
- the Independent Television Commission
- the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel)
- the Radio Authority
- the Radiocommunications Agency.
What Ofcom do
Their main legal duties are to ensure the UK has a wide range of electronic communications services, including high-speed services such as broadband, a wide range of high-quality television and radio programmes are provided, appealing to a range of tastes and interests. Television and radio services are provided by a range of different organisations, people who watch television and listen to the radio are protected from harmful or offensive material. People are also protected from being treated unfairly in television and radio programmes, and from having their privacy invaded, a universal postal service is provided in the UK - this means a six days a week, universally priced delivery and collection service across the country; and the radio spectrum (the airwaves used by everyone from taxi firms and boat owners, to mobile-phone companies and broadcasters) is used in the most effective way.
What Ofcom do not do
On the other hand they are not responsible for regulating any disputes between you and your telecoms provider, the premium-rate services, including mobile-phone text services and ringtones, the content of television and radio adverts, any complaints about accuracy in BBC programmes, the BBC TV licence fee, post offices, or newspapers and magazines.
The key personnel for ofcom currently stand as the following (17th December 2013):
- Chief Executive, Ed Richards
- Legal Group, Polly Weitzman (General Counsel)
- Content, Consumers and External Affairs, Claudio Pollack
- Strategy, International, Technology, Economist Group, Steve Unger
- Competition Group, Stuart McIntosh
- Spectrum Policy Group, Philip Mamick
- Operationas Group, Jill Ainscough (chief operating officer)
