Universal Service Obligations

EDM number 347 in 2004-05, proposed by Roger Williams on 08/12/2004.

That this House recognises the Universal Service Obligations which BT entered into at the time of privatisation by which it must provide affordable communications for those who do not have access to a landline or mobile phone; realises that dramatic changes in market-share and technology have distorted the telecommunications market over the past 20 years and that any review of BT's obligations should take account of these changes; acknowledges that, as an independent subsidiary of BT, BT Payphones is responsible for its own budget and that important restructuring needs to take place to avoid the collapse of the entire payphone network; agrees that payphones still have a crucial role to play in a comprehensive communications network, particularly in rural areas of the country where mobile phone coverage is poor or non-existent; notes that not all proposed cuts to payphone numbers are unreasonable, provided that the correct consultation procedures are adhered to; urges BT to continue to work within Ofcom's consultation guidelines regarding proposed payphone closures and to ensure that local authorities are neither misled nor ignorant as to their right to veto such closures; advises BT to investigate all other possible alternatives to maintaining payphones with local government and local businesses before planning removals; and calls upon BT to make every effort to work with local authorities in finding a sustainable long-term solution which would help relieve BT of some of its universal service obligations whilst also ensuring that the payphone network is maintained where it is so desperately needed.

This motion has been signed by a total of 35 MPs.