Wholesale Voice Markets Review 2021–26
As we move away from traditional analogue landline voice calls over the next five years, IP is expected to become the main method of interconnection. Ofcom is reviewing several markets, looking ahead to how competitive conditions may change over the period, how they could affect the retail and wholesale markets and the factors likely to influence their competitive development.
Ofcom has launched a consultation on the following proposals:
- Remove the current regulation on BT’s wholesale call origination.
- Continue to set caps on the charges for terminating landline and mobile calls.
- Ensure BT offers interconnection with its IP network for landline calls at the regulated termination rate from April 2025 onwards.
- Continue to impose mobile termination rates on calls to 070 numbers.
- UK providers can charge no more than the equivalent European counterpart rates (if higher than UK regulated cap) for calls originating abroad.
- Remove the charge control for conveyance of calls to ported mobile numbers (DCC).
A separate consultation is planned for the Hull area.
The deadline for responses is 08 October 2020 and all documents relating to the consultation can be found here.
