U.K. communications regulator Ofcom wants to require broadband and landline service providers there to offer automatic reparations to subscribers who receive poor service. That would either come in the form of a cash payment or a credit on a bill.
In a proposal released Friday, Ofcom suggests customers would be entitled to automatic compensation without having to go through a potentially lengthy and difficult claims process whenever their landline or broadband is not fixed quickly enough; their new landline or broadband service is not up and running on the day promised; or a technician doesn’t arrive for an appointment as scheduled. Interested parties are being invited to respond to the consultation by June 5, and Ofcom says it will publish its decision statement around the end of the year.
Ofcom estimates that the plans would mean up to 2.6 million additional landline and broadband customers could receive up to £185m in new compensation payments each year. Compensation rates would apply to fixed broadband and landline telephone services only and would work as follows:
The U.K. regulator also reports that in response to the plans, BT, Sky, and Virgin Media have jointly put forward a draft proposal to introduce automatic compensation through a draft voluntary industry code of practice. “At this stage, we do not consider that this proposal sufficiently meets our concerns when quality of service falls short,” Ofcom states.
Filed Under: Industry regulations + certifications
