Telecoms | UK Regulatory Outlook January 2025

Ofcom plan of work consultation

Ofcom has now published its proposed "Plan of Work" for 2025/26, which sets out its key focus areas for the next financial year.

The regulator's priority outcomes are "Internet and Post we can rely on", "Media we trust and value", "We live a safer life online", and "Enabling wireless in the UK economy".

Some of the key initiatives for which Ofcom has planned to deliver these outcomes in the telecoms sector include:

• using powers provided by the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 to monitor providers' compliance with the new security framework;
• taking enforcement action against companies that do not comply with the Illegal Content Code of Practice and the Protection of Children Codes of Practice (once approved by Parliament); and
• awarding the mmWave spectrum (26 GHz and 40 GHz), designing rules for the award of 1.4 GHz spectrum and continuing to explore authorisation options for the upper 6 GHz band.

Ofcom has asked for responses to its proposed plan of work by 5pm on 29 January 2025.

March deadline for TSA compliance

For communications providers with relevant annual turnover of over £50million but less than £1billion the 31 March 2025 deadline is fast approaching for compliance with the measures set out in the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice. Before April arrives, in-scope providers must ensure that they have identified and remedied any potential weaknesses in areas such as:

• governance processes
• third party supplier management
• network oversight functions, and
• protection of customer data.

Failure to comply can result in fines of up to ten per cent of turnover and so it is essential that providers waste no time in implementing the necessary measures.

Implementation of gaining-provider-led switching for business customers

Under the Ofcom General Conditions there is an obligation for all providers of fixed-line broadband and voice services to offer customers a gaining-provider-led switching solution. Now that One Touch Switch has been launched for residential customers, the industry's focus will now shift to the business switching solution.

In December, the One Touch Switching Company TOTSCo has published a letter advising that plans for the launch of a business solution are likely to be shared in early 2025. The goal is then for businesses to be able to start integration testing with the solution in Q2 2025.

If you would like to discuss any of these issues, or better understand how best to bring your business processes in line with the telecoms security or switching rules, please contact one of our experts.