We were established under the Communications Act 2003 as the independent, policy advisory body on consumer interests in telecommunications, broadcasting and spectrum markets (with the exception of content issues).
Based on evidence, we advise Ofcom, the communications regulator, Government, the EU and others on how to achieve a communications marketplace in which the communications interests of consumers and citizens are protected and promoted.
We set our own agenda but work constructively with the Ofcom Board. This enables us to give strategic advice on policies early on in their development - before they are consulted on - so as to build consumer interests into Ofcom's decision-making from the outset.
Through the advice that it gives, the Communications Consumer Panel has sought to persuade Ofcom, Government and industry to look at issues through the eyes of consumers and protect and promote their interests. The Panel has paid particular attention to the needs of older people and people with disabilities, to the needs of people in rural areas and people on low incomes, and to the needs of small businesses, which face many of the same problems as individual consumers.
The Panel is made up of independent experts with experience from many different fields: consumer advocacy, regulation, the third sector, academia, the trade union movement, market research and industry.
Since 2008 the Panel has advised on a broad range of issues and has addressed them in two main ways:
The Panel has also kept many other issues under periodic review at Panel meetings to enable it to keep its knowledge up to date and be able to raise issues to monitoring status if appropriate.