Ofcom warns against anti-competitive operators

1 August 2007

The telecommunications watchdog Ofcom has welcomed the introduction of its new code of practice for mobile phone operators in the face of a perceived lack of competition throughout the market.

Ofcom has said that despite growing competition in the mobile phone market arriving in the form of online phone services, it is still dealing with hundreds of complaints each month regarding mis-sold mobile phone contracts.

It is feared that, rather than increasing the benefits to consumers through competition, the big five phone companies are instead becoming anti-competitive, and Ofcom has warned seriously against companies that flout the code.

"Competition in the mobile market has led to lower prices and a wide variety of valuable and exciting new services," Ofcom Chief Executive Ed Richards, said in a statement to the press.

"However, consumers must trust those that sell to them. We expect this new voluntary code of practice to stamp out mis-selling in mobile; if it does not, we will not hesitate to step in to protect consumers."

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