17 January 2012

This will be my last year with FCS as I shall be retiring from the FCS in the summer. It has been a roller coaster lifestyle helping an industry that is either fully in the spotlight or sometimes overlooked when important decisions are made.

A vibrant market needs the ingenuity and innovation that smaller players and new entrants provide and regulators should not dismiss this important sector when developing their policies. I predict that in the next decade the mantra of infrastructure competition will have faded away as economic reality strikes and big capacity resilient fat pipes of fibre or spectrum will be in place offering indirect access to a market dependent on communication services and competing retail suppliers.

No doubt our regulator will also evolve in the years to come to focus purely on economic regulation, shedding non central services and working with industry in an effective co-regulatory framework, with the trade association at the centre.

Finally thanks to all the dedicated industry volunteers and FCS staff who form the community of FCS that will grow even stronger in the future. I look forward to seeing you all once more at the FCS AGM on 21 June. The FCS board is now seeking a new enthusiastic and visionary CEO- to apply please visit the jobs section onour website. 
 

07 November 2011

Business Radio 11- the internet of things is driven by radio communication
This year the major focus is on new digital products introduced into the UK market by the leading worldwide industry suppliers, the demands of the expanding user community and the inevitable question where is the spectrum to fulfil the demand? The leading lights of the UK business radio industry are descending on Hinckley Island Hotel in 2 weeks time, on 17 November for this unique industry convention. We particularly welcome the spectrum policy makers, enforcers and licence administrators from Ofcom who will be speaking on the burning issues of spectrum leasing and keeping the spectrum clean and holding face to face sessions with the industry players.

On 9th November the FCS team will be in Southampton to meet with our members on the South coast to review the fast moving telecoms, voice, broadband and numbering issues affecting their businesses. We are grateful to Nine Telecom Group for sponsoring this event. The following day I’ll be at Comms Vision in Scotland to meet the national movers and shakers in the communications channel- just why are they so successful in this period of economic gloom?

29 September 2011 

As the comms services sector is trying to bed down changes to the EU framework announced in May, we are now faced with a new set of strategic chnages- a new Communications Act. The Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has said he wants a growth agenda and looks to be focussing on broadcasting and culture although delivery by broadband is also high on his agenda.

As FCS continues to point out the country is dependent on delivery of access to spectrum, copper and fibre if its economy is to make best use of them. That we argue depends on having a vibrant, competitive, equivalent retail sector and Ofcom must ensure that regulation supports this. We need fair wholesale access to the mobile networks and to Openreach products.

Therefore on connectivity Jeremy Hunt has made some helpful points:

- Its important to have a properly competitive market in retail fibre - FCS is still seeking a WLR3 equivalent for fibre;

- He is looking for a better allocation and management of spectrum - which might signal that new or different technques might be welcomed. FCS has argued that spectrum users are very different and a one size fits all auction regime will not deliver the country's full social requirement.

- It must be easier for smaller companies to access spectrum: smaller companies do not have the deep pockets of the larger player but nevertheless are able to deliver specific and innovative services across the communications market.

We will hear more about the new ACT at the FCS CP11 event on the 13 October. Changes to non-geo numbers and the General Condition as well as Openreach plans for the future all feature on the programme.

I look forward to meeting members and guests at CP11

FCS at 30 - New Chairman and Heroes

After the FCS AGM on 16 June 2011 Justin Orde became the new FCS chairman and Dave Dadds the new Deputy Chairman.

To celebrate our 30 years FCS recognised those individuals who stand out for their contribution to FCS as a trade body and the industry we serve. At the 30th anniversary event on 16 June awards were made to six Heroes of FCS:

* Roy Pierce- for long service to the Business Radio sector
* Ash Potter- for his long service to the fixed telephony sector as chair of the Fixed SP group
* John Thomson - for services to the mobile communications and installation sector
* Kieron James - for his initiative in putting forward the voice of the numbering providers
* Jonathan Clark MBE - whose foresight it was 30 years ago to set up the Federation and chair the FCS for 20 years
* Christine Warwick- who is retiring on 30 June after 17 years with the company running the FCS office

Congratulations to them all and congratulations to each of the winners and runners up in the FCS 2011 Awards

24 May 2011

Changes to the General Conditions are in place on 25 May 2011

Ofcom issued a short consultation in February on significant changes to the General Conditions, the rules that govern the delivery of telephony in the UK. In the FCS response we highlighted the need for industry to have time to adapt its processes, once final confirmation of changes is published

One notable concern is changes to GC 18- number portability. FCS members have severe concerns with Ofcom’s proposals to introduce a compensation scheme for problems with number portability when there are continuing problems with the porting process itself particularly for geo numbers. FCS urges Ofcom to set up an industry working group-ideally under proper governance that includes all parties within the industry, not just the larger players- to consider and develop a common compensation scheme process. But this must take place alongside a review of the fixed number porting process as well, which cannot be delayed ad infinitum.

Our report to Ofcom is listed under What's New below.

The FCS Communications Act Working Group is working on the FCS response to the Department of Culture questions on a new Communications Act for 2014-15

We are looking forward to celebrating our 30th anniversary on 16 June- hope to see you there.

04 May 2011

Changes to the General Conditions are rushed

Ofcom issued a short consultation in February on significant changes to the General Conditions, the rules that govern the delivery of telephony in the UK. In the FCS response we highlighted the need for industry to have time to adapt its processes, once final confirmation of changes is published- by 4 May 2011 this has not happened and the implementation date is just 3 weeks away on 25 May.

One notable concern is changes to GC 18- number portability. FCS members have severe concerns with Ofcom’s proposals to introduce a compensation scheme for problems with number portability when there are continuing problems with the porting process itself particularly for geo numbers. FCS urges Ofcom to set up an industry working group-ideally under proper governance that includes all parties within the industry, not just the larger players- to consider and develop a common compensation scheme process. But this must take place alongside a review of the fixed number porting process as well, which cannot be delayed ad infinitum.

Our report to Ofcom is listed under What's New below.

17 March 2011

Net neutrality and an open internet

...are the new battlegrounds among the heavyweights of the content and connectivity industries. The whole economy is going to be dependent on internet access via fibre, copper or wireless in years to come for public services and business efficiency, as well as social life. The content sector seeks an open internet- consumers must be able to access all legal content ideally across all platforms. The connectivity sector is looking for a return on its investment in spectrum, systems and fibre networks as well as competing with rivals.

It was this landscape that the Communications Minister Ed Vaizey has as his agenda at the Open Internet Round Table on 16 March. Representing FCS I was able to hear the arguments from all sides. Several telcos had developed a voluntary code of practice on traffic management transparency. Many delegates considered this to be a first step and that more was needed in terms of rules for the competitive environment. Should ISPs be able to block the content of their competitors being delivered over their network? Can suppliers deliver different qualities of service to different customers at different prices?

The outcome of the session was a commitment by Sir Tim Berners-Lee to work with the connectivity industry to build upon the voluntary code to include customer rights to connect with whom they want without discrimination. Needless to say FCS will get involved since our members at the very least have to communicate what traffic management means to their customers.

14 February 2011

What’s bugging FCS members?

The economic climate has an impact on every industry and comms services are no exception, but our recent FCS members’ survey has shown significant optimism for the year ahead. Despite the natural consolidation occurring among companies in difficult times most members predict growth in the year ahead.

However there are some specific issues bugging our members that need to be tackled now.

Many members deliver WLR services to their customers, sourcing wholesale service from Openreach. However, increasingly WLR providers are concerned about deteriorating performance and service delivery by Openreach. The Fixed Service Providers Group is putting pressure on Openreach to improve the situation. As fibre is being rolled out across the UK, service providers and resellers are still unclear how they are to provide Next Generation Access Services to their customers, particularly in areas where copper is absent. Discussions with BT and Ofcom have not yet offered a solution.

A more positive story emerges from the radio sector where the introduction of new digital products by competing providers is stimulating growth in this market. However, despite greater spectrum efficiencies being introduced there is a continuing demand for new spectrum in urban areas- once again we are asking Ofcom to help

After a successful meeting in Bristol on 9 February, FCS will be hosting its next Regional Meeting in Manchester on 9 March- we look forward to seeing our members and guests then.

12 November 2010

The trade association in every industry plays an important role in bringing the industry together and offering a platform for the regulator and industry to meet on neutral ground to review market and regulatory developments.

We will be doing just that at Business Radio 10 next week. Ofcom is the UK’s spectrum manager and a wide ranging team from our regulator will be meeting the business radio community to exchange opinions on spectrum policy, enforcement, new technology developments and how this market is growing. Crucially user representatives will be telling us what they want.

A new FCS report shows that this market is growing by 6-10% each year driven by new digital product and the basic need of customers for their own radio system, installed to their own standards and resilience. Emerging new apps developers and workshops on whitespace technology and Power Line Technology will be on show alongside the digital radio technologies- Tetra, DMR and d-PMR.
See you there! 
 

28 October 2010

Fast broadband access for resellers; regulation changes from Europe: a Telecoms Forum

 
The UK telecoms industry is crucially providing the supporting framework for the economic recovery. The competitive suppliers in FCS are vying with each other to deliver better and effective services to their customers, particularly those in the business sector. While this is happening our industry is itself assailed by changes in supplier products- such as superfast broadband by some parts of BT- and UK regulatory changes that favour the consumer.

The FCS executive and industry leads are promoting members’ views on all fronts this autumn: seeking voice products over fibre for resellers- effective regulation for non geographic calls services- adequate management of customer migration processes- and engaging with Ofcom on access to spectrum for the radio community.

It is evident that the telecoms industry needs a more joined up approach to implement the vast range of changes in the melting pot, especially as our regulator is reducing in size. FCS is calling for a recognised Telecoms Forum drawing together all parts of the telecoms industry in a formalised body that establishes processes and solutions to new developments. The myriad of current industry groupings no longer seems to be the best way of supporting customers.

7 October 2010

FCS members would like to know how the next generation voice services for SPs and resellers will be delivered. There is a competitive market in the delivery of WLR today with millions of consumer and business customers being served by SPs and resellers. WLR3 is gathering momentum, but what next?

In the fibre world, particularly in greenfield sites with no copper to the premise, there is no obvious migration path . Openreach announced no development of a VoNGA product and Ofcom has not clarified the reseller role. Where is the competitive market in access and wholesale prices?

FCS telephony members will debate where SPs and resellers sit in the fibre world with Ofcom at the CP10 event on 12 October in London with James Palmer of Nine Telecom putting the channel case. 

22 July 2010

FCS is the largest association supporting suppliers of communication services and is able to draw on a wide range of companies when conducting research of industry opinion to advise Government and regulators.

A major concern at the moment is that SPs, resellers and their significant base of SME customers are not at the forefront of policy to deliver voice and broadband services in the fibre world. The FCS NGA action group is taking this argument to BIS, Openreach and Ofcom. While Government policy is to ensure a competitive environment in telecoms, the reality is that the rush to fibre might inadvertently block out competition by creating a wires-only regime. Customers can only benefit from new services if they can easily move between suppliers- at the moment barriers such as fixed number portability processes are in the way.

12 July 2010

FCS has started discussions in earnest with Government on our two major projects announced at the AGM last month- business radio and NGA.

We have written to new Communications Minister Ed Vaizey requesting a strategic review of the future of business radio and met with BIS officials last week to explain our position.

In our view resellers will be central to the success of superfast broadband in the UK and we are meeting Steve Robertson, CEO Openreach on 13 July to make our case. This follows sessions with the Ofcom Board in May and BIS 2 weeks ago. We look forward to the BIS consultation on Thursday 15 on delivering broadband to the rural communities and what it says about resellers and migration processes for customers.

Jacqui

jbrookes@fcs.org.uk