ISPA: Oi, Oftel, Nooooo!

Open letter questions watchdog's ability to regulate

By Lucy Sherriff • Get more from this author

Posted in Music and Media, 26th February 2001 14:40 GMT

Free whitepaper – Enabling Datacenter and Cloud Service Management for Mid-Tier Enterprises

The Internet Service Providers Association - ISPA - has written an open letter to Oftel asking that the regulator sort out the rollout of high speed net access services.

It expresses concern that it took Oftel 14 months to reach a decision about FRIACO, saying that the delay gave BT time to get products of its own ready for market, giving the telco a clear edge.

"ISPA believes that the regulatory process designed to prevent abuse by BT of a dominant position and to promote competition in the market place has clearly failed in this case."

The letter, which you can read in full here, calls on Oftel to demonstrate "that they are able to provide effective regulation for the benefit of consumers and competition."

As well as questioning Oftel's ability to regulate BT, the association states that the reputation of the industry as a whole has been damaged by the process.

Meanwhile, Oftel has defended its actions, saying that it has done its best to keep the process moving, despite technical difficulties. ®