UK ISP Etico Solutions Escapes Ofcom Fine for Broadband Migration Woes

The little known Internet provider Etico Solutions, which is based at the same address as long defunct ISPs EurISP and Aspire Internet (related news here and here), has escaped punishment from Ofcom after the regulator opened an investigation into their alleged failure to supply customers with a broadband migration code upon request.

The original investigation, which began in February 2013, referenced a string of complaints from consumers and other ISPs about Etico’s “failure to provide Migration Authorisation Codes (MACs) upon request“. Ofcom’s General Condition 22 (GC22) rule requires all ISPs to issue a MAC within 5 working days of request and free of charge (MAC rules).

However the investigation, which took a look at migrations that dated all the way back to February 2011 (note: immediately after we learnt that Aspire Internet had gone into liquidation), did not find any “systemic compliance issues“, or a “significant pattern of conduct consistent with a breach of GC22“. But it’s not all good news for Etico.

Ofcoms Statement

“Ofcom did identify some areas of weakness in respect of the time taken by Etico to provide MACs on request to its downstream reseller customers in accordance with GC22. In light of this, Ofcom wrote to Etico about the need for it to improve its processes and procedures for responding to MAC requests from its downstream reseller customers in accordance with GC22 to prevent similar delays from occurring going forward.”

The case has now been closed.