What do ofcom regulate

Should you wish to complain about the internet services such as your home broadband or mobile broadband provider, Ofcom is the place to phone or write to. They can investigate how the product was sold or how the contract was written. They can also deal with nuisance phone calls and nuisance texts. They however do not deal with complaints regarding individual websites, with the exception of YouTube.

They can provide information for the codes of practice for the telecoms and broadband industry , including how fixed lines are accessed and how to apply for a new telephone number. This is the kind of information which is useful for the telecom companies themselves, rather than individual consumers.

The data which is collects may be from third parties. Should you wish to make a Freedom of Information request regarding telecommunications they need to reply with the information within 20 days. Although this is usually free they may charge you if you require a hard copy of the information and there is an unexpectedly large amount to be processed. We are also now the regulator for video sharing platforms established in the UK.

We already carry out world-class research on market trends, online habits and attitudes. We can also draw on strong relationships with industry, policymakers, academic experts, charities and other regulators. An important part of our job will be to ensure online platforms do the same with their systems and processes. We look after the airwaves used by wireless devices like cordless phones, walkie talkies and even some car keys and doorbells. This is particularly important for vulnerable or older people.

Our duties come from Parliament. Our priority is to look after you, and we sometimes do this by promoting competition among companies we regulate. How can they help you or not, as the case may be? The office was officially founded under the Office of Communications Act , though their official authority and outlined responsibilities comes from the Communications Act Officially, OFCOM is the government approved regulator and competition authority for postal industries, communications, and broadcasting.

This means that it's OFCOM's job to keep an eye on these industries which include the post office, TV cable and home broadband, mobile operators, radio, on-demand television such as BBC iPlayer to make sure that they're acting fairly towards consumers. OFCOM are accountable to parliament and are supposed to act in the best interests of consumers. They ensure that there is plenty of competition in the marketplace so no one company can have a monopoly and therefore charge high prices and that companies act within the law.

The OFCOM website lists eight main responsibilities of the office, mostly concerned with television and radio. OFCOM's main areas of concern are:. OFCOM will not do anything about your individual problem, but they will add your data to others and if it turns out that your operator regularly overcharges customers, then OFCOM will act.