The USO is a set of rules that makes sure phone services are available to people across the UK at an affordable price. There are two designated telecoms providers responsible for universal service in the UK – BT and KCOM (in the Hull area only).
The current USO was set out in 2003, when fax machines were more prevalent and email and instant messaging were less ubiquitous. At that time it was important the USO required BT and KCOM to provide fax services.
Ofcom has said, “The telecoms landscape has changed. Not only are alternatives to fax machines now more widely available, migration of telephone networks to internet protocol technology means fax services can no longer be guaranteed to work in the same way.
“We previously consulted on this subject last year. We considered it was appropriate for fax to be removed from the USO, given its limited ongoing use, as well as the fact that developments in technology now mean there are a range of alternative available for people to use.”
The regulator is inviting comments by 1 December on its implementation of this change and expects to publish a statement in early 2023.
You can submit responses via a consultation response form that can be accessed here.