Ofcom Joins UK Wireless Internet Service Providers Association

The UK communications regulator, Ofcom, has joined the UK Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (UKWISPA) trade body, which the organisation says is helping to show that the regulator is “recognising fixed wireless as a mainstream broadband service to the public.”

Over the past 2-3 years much of the political and regulatory focus in the UK’s broadband market has tended to be centred on “full fibre” (FTTP) broadband and 4G or 5G based mobile infrastructure, although this often ignores the subtle but important contribution that has been played by Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) ISPs.

Despite this a growing number of FWA providers have entered the market and these often help to connect some of the hardest to reach rural parts of the country. In keeping with that UKWISPA’s membership has swelled to include 100 organisations and now Ofcom has joined the fold.

David Burns, Chairman of UKWISPA, said:

“In light of our current climate where remote working, education and socialisation has become the norm, the public are becoming especially frustrated with the lack of improvement to the broadband landscape. Much of this remote interaction is likely to continue past the COVID-19 crisis and, as a result, more help is needed to ensure that everyone receives the adequate bandwidth to suit this new way of life.

UKWISPA members have been dedicated to doing so for decades, but the role of fixed wireless is now more important than ever. The recent support from Ofcom and surge in members, together with the release of next-generation multi-gigabit wireless systems are all key indicators of the vital role of Fixed Wireless in addressing the urgent need for better quality internet access for everyone.

As a regulator, Ofcom sets the rules, allocates the spectrum and sets the policies for broadband. By joining UKWISPA, a symbiosis is created where wireless operators can affordably and efficiently improve their broadband quality whilst providing Ofcom with the valuable data required to roadmap a plan for improving connectivity nationwide.

Collaboration is key to succeed in a mission of this scale, and we are excited to work with Ofcom, support operators and provide better broadband to rural and suburban communities.”

We should point out that not all of UKWISPA’s membership are consumer broadband facing ISPs (although many of them are), some of them are also WiFi hotspot providers and developers of bespoke or corporate wireless solutions. ISPreview.co.uk’s own Fixed Wireless Broadband ISP List currently covers 98 consumer facing providers.