UK: Ofcom boss tells BT CEO: ‘We won’t be intimidated’

Ofcom’s Sharon White has called on BT to engage in ‘open and constructive’ conversation with the regulator, warning ‘we’re not easily intimidated’.

White’s comments follow remarks made by BT boss Gavin Patterson, who threatened to take legal action should Openreach be split from the telecoms giant. Ofcom recently announced its digital communications review, with White explaining that structural separation is not the only option.

Speaking today in Westminster to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, she said: ‘We’re looking at other options, not just structural separation. We’re not easily intimidated and we are driven to doing what’s best for the consumer. We don’t believe that Openreach is in a broken position but we would like to have an open and constructive evidence based conversation with BT about how Openreach has worked so far and whether there are reforms we can work on.’

With regards to BT’s market dominance, White expressed concern for SME’s, claiming that more competition is needed within business to prevent the smaller enterprises from being ‘squeezed’.

She commented: ‘The reason for the review is that the market feels very different than it did 10 years ago and that is particularly due to the liberation of the global environment. BT’s dominance varies by sector and support for SME’s shows they are dominant in that market.

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