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The birth of a communications super-regulator - getting it right
Putting the bureaucracy together to regulate the digital age may seem like it will cause more headaches than it will solve, but having a single regulator for communications, internet and the media is a good idea.

By editorial@silicon.com

Published: Thursday 11 January 2001

Naturally there are concerns, and as industry gets a chance to digest the UK government's proposals for a super-regulator - Ofcom - more are likely to come to the surface. But the government seems fairly confident that it has provided the right framework to build on.

In an exclusive interview with silicon.com on this topic, e-minister Patricia Hewitt brushed off criticism.

First, in response to the concern that Ofcom will confusingly report to two separate government departments, Hewitt argues that they - the DTI and the DCMS - worked well putting the white paper on communications together, so why shouldn't they continue to do so. (Unless of course there's a change of government which can happen occasionally!)

Second, Hewitt claims "a board of executives won't slow things down". Instead, Ofcom will benefit from more diverse technical and business expertise. "Speed will rely on resources and power to do the job," she said. We'll see.

Hewitt was less clear on how Ofcom will work with the Data Protection Commission or how much power it will give the Internet Watch Foundation to regulate internet content.

There are still a few weeks left for consultation with industry. The Federation of Electronics Industry (FEI) intends to hold a meeting with operators, broadcasters and manufacturers to find out if they share the government's optimism.

But with legislation this important, it isn't enough to simply wait and see how it will work in practice. If the regulator is to work efficiently, intelligently and swiftly, the framework has to be right from the outset. That means industry coming up with realistic and practical suggestions at this early stage and the government having the flexibility to take them on board.