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UK: Ofcom allows BT wholesale pricing freedom

By  |  May 20, 2014

UK communications authority Ofcom said it will not regulate the prices BT charges rivals for wholesale fiber-optic network for broadband services, reports say.

BT sells the use of its network to competitors including TalkTalk and BSkyB through its wholesale unit Openreach. Ofcom decline to regulate the prices after finding healthy competition that keeps prices within reasonable ranges.

The regulator also found Openreach faces sufficient competition through rival Virgin Media.

The European Commission will be next to review Ofcom’s decision. But its ruling has already faced criticism from some consumer advocates that argue BT needs to be kept in check.

The company was a onetime state monopoly and holds a significant portion of the telco market.

Full content: Reuters

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