BT Group plc: broadband marketing

No. 9/01/2003

The Director General of Telecommunications has made a decision that BT Group plc (BT) has not infringed the Chapter II prohibition of the Competition Act 1998 in respect of allegations made by Freeserve.com Plc (Freeserve) regarding broadband internet access.

The Competition Commission Appeals Tribunal (CCAT) concluded that the Director General had made the decision following its consideration of an appeal under the Act by Freeserve.

Freeserve's complaint to the Director General concerned allegations concerning:

• cross marketing activity between BT and BT Openworld
• advance notification of wholesale price reductions
• cross subsidy
• BT's telephone census.

The CCAT has concluded in its judgement of 11 November 2002 - see the Competition Commission website -  that the views given by the Director General in its case closure summary amounted to a decision that the Chapter II prohibition had not been infringed and, as such, was appealable to the CCAT.

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