Ofcom has decided to propose changes that would mean telecoms providers no longer need to offer fax services at an affordable price – this is because the regulator deems the technology to be antiquated, and it’s not worth providers maintaining the necessary infrastructure. The proposals would alter what’s known as the universal service obligation (USO).
The USO is a set of rules that applies to phone service providers in the UK, namely BT and KCOM. The existing USO was put together in 2003 when there was more need for fax machines. For younger readers, a sender could scan a paper document through their fax machine and send it over a phone line using a telephone number. The receiving fax machine then print out the document being sent.
Nowadays, people can use a whole array of services to send documents, so Ofcom believes it’s time to stop requiring BT and KCOM to provide support for the technology via the USO. Additionally, Ofcom notes that UK telephone networks are migrating to internet protocol (IP) technology, and it can’t be guaranteed that fax machines could carry on being supported anyway.
Ofcom said it’s asking for feedback on its proposal, the deadline will be December 1. Ofcom then plans to make a statement early in 2023 about the matter and what it has decided to do.
Source: Ofcom