COVID-19 – Ofcom Delays UK Telecoms Work for 2020 to 2021

In an unsurprising development Ofcom has today published a revision of their proposed annual work plan for 2020/21, which has naturally resulted in various delays to their broadband (e.g. full fibre competition), mobile (e.g. 5G auctions) and related regulation work due to the on-going COVID-19 (Coronavirus) crisis.

The original plan was published in January 2020 (here) but since then COVID-19 has had a significant impact due to the lockdown and social distancing restrictions, although this doesn’t always show in the broad strokes quarterly dating format that Ofcom has used in their updated plan today.

For example, the regulator’s consultation on promoting investment and competition in “full fibre” broadband ISP networks (here), which is part of the Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review 2021-26, was originally open for responses until 1st April but this has now been extended until 22nd May 2020.

Similarly Ofcom’s original plan to award new radio bands to mobile network operators as they are released (e.g. 700MHz and 3.6-3.8GHz for 5G mobile) was originally targeted for Q1 2020/21, but under the revised plan this is now merely listed as 2020/21 in general (i.e. it could happen at any point over the next 12 months).

On top of that the related 700MHz spectrum clearance work, which was due to finish by May 2020, is now listed for a final update in Q3 2020/21 but is also on “pause“. We’ve pasted the bulk of Ofcom’s revised work plan below. Otherwise we note that there has been a slight revision to the UK Government’s proposed spending cap for Ofcom’s budget in 2020/21, which has changed from £133.6m in January to £131.9m now.