The government's policies on high-tech communications
have failed, UK plc – the body that represents the UK's business
communications users – said this morning.
Launching the
Communication Managers' Association (CMA) manifesto for a new
communications act,
chairman Carolyn Kimber called for a converged approach to policy
making at the top reaches of government.
The government's policy on information and communications
technology was confused and distorted, she said.
She demanded a properly resourced, fully independent regulator
and a clear division between the responsibilities of the
regulator and the government.
Kimber blamed
the
Communications Act 2003 for many of the problems that beset the
industry. The act "failed to to distinguish between Granny Jones
and UK plc," she said.
Kimber said events over the past five years showed businesses
were not able to look after themselves in the face of large
communications suppliers who wielded significant market power.
"The concerted lobbying power of the suppliers far outweighs
anything their business customers can bring to bear," she said.
"That's why the act has failed UK plc."
Kimber said a new communications act was overdue. It should put
a legal duty on Ofcom to address the needs of enterprise users in
consultations and decisions, she said.
Kimber called for government to impose a universal broadband
access obligation on communications providers without further
delay.
The CMA wanted real, effective and sustainable competition in
communications services and goods, and for mobile broadband
coverage with basic roaming between the networks to better than 95%
of the country.
The government should also push Europe towards a single market
in communications. This should be based on harmonised and
rationalised, sector-specific regulations and competition law, she
said.
Describing
communications minister Stephen Carter's Digital Britain interim
report as reflecting what was politically possible four weeks
ago, she said it was
a step in the right direction.
She said the CMA would be commenting on the report, and that the
manifesto was its first response.
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