Ofcom has published its Plan of Work for 2021/22, outlining its strategic priorities for the coming financial year.

These are important as they help set consumer expectations and give operators guidance on the role the regulator expects to play on these fronts. Understanding Ofcom’s plan of work is particularly important this year as we ramp up to the roll-out of new technologies such as full-fibre and 5G.

Ofcom’s strategic priorities for this financial year include, among others:

• Facilitating investment in strong, secure networks – supporting investment in faster broadband and better quality mobile networks. This will include the development of a mobile strategy that will underpin future regulation and support the delivery of high-quality connectivity and innovation.
• Improving coverage and connectivity – ensuring people and businesses can access key communications services, and improving broadband access and broadband services in the hardest-to-reach locations.
• Ensuring fairness for consumers – enabling people to shop around with confidence, make informed choices, switch easily and get a fair deal. Priorities for the year will include measures to ensure affordability, simpler broadband switching, reviewing the effectiveness of end-of-contract notifications and concluding initial thinking on Open Communications.

Frontier regularly advises fixed and mobile operators in the UK on regulatory and competition issues.

For more information please contact media@frontier-economics.com, or call +44 (0)20 7031 7000.