Ofcom Tuesday began consulting on new guidance for telecoms providers, following the introduction of the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021.
Last year, the Government passed new legislation regarding the security of public electronic communications services and networks in the UK.
Under the new framework, Ofcom has a duty to ensure providers comply with their security duties, including as to the availability, performance or functionality of the network or service; and it gives us the powers to proactively monitor and enforce these duties.
Today we have set out the procedures we expect to follow in carrying out our monitoring and enforcement activities. We have also proposed new guidance on which security compromises we would expect providers to report to us.
We are also proposing to update our existing guidance on network resilience to reflect the new framework, and draft regulations and Code of Practice, on which the UK Government is currently consulting.
Interested or affected parties are invited to respond to our consultation by 17 May 2022. We plan to issue our final procedures and guidance in Autumn 2022.
Request from Local TV Limited to change its programming commitments
Ofcom is today consulting on a request by Local TV Limited to change its programming commitments for seven of its licences. The licences are for Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, Teesside, and Tyne and Wear.
Local TV Limited is proposing changes to its hours and scheduling of local news and current affairs programming, and to its first-run local programming. In each case, we consider that the changes requested by Local TV Limited amount to a departure from the character of the licensed service.
In our view, the amount of local programming required to be provided by each service would still be sufficiently high, and Local TV Limited’s commitment to delivering first-run local news and current affairs would remain. Taking this, and the financial sustainability of these services into account, we are minded to approve this request. We are seeking views from interested or affected parties by 5pm on 5 April 2022, before reaching our final decision
