Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to refer fixed line telecommunications services to the Competition and Markets Authority.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
This is a matter for the communications regulator, Ofcom, or the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), either of which might review the fixed line telecommunications market on their own initiative. Ofcom could conduct a market study and, if its findings warranted it, refer it to the CMA for a market investigation. In theory it is possible for the Secretary of State to request a referral to the CMA under Section 131 (1) of the Enterprise Act. However, this is a ‘reserve power’ and has never been used.
Ofcom periodically reviews the telecommunications fixed access market, most recently in May 2014. In March this year Ofcom launched an overarching Strategic Review of Digital Communications in the UK. This is covering both fixed and wireless networks and services.