Broadband regulation. The OFTEL Consultative Document: Beyond the telephone, the television and the PC

This article reviews the Office of Telecommunications' Consultative Document on the regulation of broadband switched mass market (BSM) services delivered by telecommunications systems. The document aims to stimulate debate on the implications of current and probable future developments of telecoms technology and its use. This paper concentrates on the key principles of the BSM regulatory framework, the practical issues over access, the question of vertical integration through convergence, and transitional regulation.