United Kingdom

[GB] Telecommunications Regulator Publishes Consultative Paper on Digital Television

IRIS 1998-7:1/30

Tony Prosser

University of Bristol Law School

The UK telecommunications regulator, the Office of Telecommunications (OFTEL), has published a consultative document on ensuring that the prices broadcasters and others are required to pay for access to digital television receivers to provide television and interactive services are fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory. It seeks views on three related issues:

- whether all or part of the investment in the subsidy of consumer equipment should be regarded as investment in network infrastructure which it would be legitimate to take into account in setting access charges for thirdparty users.

- the extent to which subsidy payments should be regarded as covering the costs of the additional facilities for interactive services and to what extent they are a common cost between interactive services and television services.

- whether the approach OFTEL has proposed to take in assessing whether the charges for conditional access services for digital television are fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory should be extended to charges for access control services, including enhanced television services.