Oftel chief summoned by MPs

MPs will summon Oftel chief David Edmonds for an explanation why the watchdog is making such slow progress in opening up BT's local loop to competitors.

Edmonds has been inundated with complaints about BT's activities and has been criticised for not pushing BT hard enough.

According to Sunday's Observer, several of the major competitors, frustrated with Oftel, have lobbied the Government directly in an attempt to bypass the regulator which is increasingly viewed as too weak to deal with BT's cohorts of legal experts. According to the Observer the companies have made their case to the Number Ten Policy Unit and to the DTI.

Full story to follow.

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