Ofcom has announced that it will be reviewing the prices that BT Group Plc can charge rivals for using its telecoms networks. The potential change in pricing comes after a significant increase in competition was noted.

The communications regulator has confirmed that it will be conducting a two-part consultation and it will aim to publish a final statement before the end of the year.

Previously a national institution and state-owned monopoly, BT has been under a watchful eye ever since it was privatised in 1984.

This isn’t the first time that BT has been under the spotlight from Ofcom on network pricing. Back in 2006 BT launched a separate business unit under the title Openreach to provide wholesale access to its telecoms network to rivals on a neutral basis including Carphone Warehouse, BSkyB and Virgin Media. At the time of this launch Ofcom agreed a maximum price for Openreach. However, this maximum price did not account for inflation, or other expenses:

“Since the charges were first set and Openreach was established there has been a transformation in the telecoms market, with a significant increase in direct competition in the provision of both telephone lines and broadband services,” Ofcom said in a statement.

Source: Guardian.co.uk

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