Suhail Bhat, policy and initiatives director at MEF, has outlined his initial thoughts on the long awaited Premium Rate Services (PRS) Scope Review issued today by Ofcom:
"This follows the recent and thorough PhonepayPlus “Mobile Phone-Paid Services and their Marketing” consultation which imposed prior permission for certain mobile services. The Ofcom Scope Review is important to the industry as its aim is to ensure that the current PRS regulatory regime meets the needs of consumers, affords an appropriate level of consumer protection and also supports an innovative and quickly changing PRS industry. Ofcom states that there are currently gaps in the regulatory framework in the UK that need to be addressed and specifically targets areas of performance that need to be explored. These relate to:
- The clarity of pricing in PRS and the impact on consumer trust and confidence
- The mechanics of consumer redress in the PRS sector
- The ability of the current regulatory regime to deal with new and emerging services
- The effective application of a regulation across the PRS value chain
- The feasibility of a service provider registration scheme and its benefits for regulation and
- Any overlap between PpP role and that of other regulators and consumer protection bodies.
It is becoming harder to navigate the complex regulatory requirements set out by different regulators. MEF has produced clear guides to all these pieces of regulation for its members and will continue to work with regulators to ensure that the regulatory frameworks meet their objectives. However, at the same time, we hope that the Scope Review will serve as a comprehensive detailing of what needs to be done in the long term to promote our industry and adequately protect consumers - not just a review that is valid until different regulators issue any further consultations."
MEF will be discussing the implications of the Scope Review and other proposed changes in legislation on Tuesday 26th May at 4pm as part of its EMEA Regulatory Committee.
“I am honoured to be re-elected by MEF’s membership to the EMEA board for a further term so we can continue to engage with the EMEA membership and deliver even more member value on a local level. As we face challenging economic conditions, it is more important than ever for MEF to continue providing a platform for exchanging insight, entering new markets and showcasing innovation across the regions. I welcome the new board members who bring added regional diversity and new areas of expertise and I look forward to working with the entire board.” 
“The mobile industry is at the dawn of a new era with many new services becoming available. As mobile content becomes richer and more sophisticated it is important for the industry to create common standards to enable the next phase of growth. Some operators are doing this individually or in groups, evolving into ‘smart pipes,’ but without a fully co-ordinated approach the market is in danger of developing a fragmented landscape that will inhibit the take up of consumer services. The MEF Enablers Initiative will address this and lay the foundation for the next generation of mobile operator services for years to come.”
"I believe that the BCI’s positive outlook reflects ROI that our industry expects to see in 2009 and beyond after almost a decade of investment in mobile media. With growth anticipated across key segments of the industry, MEF will be working with our members to help them capitalise on new opportunities and address existing bottlenecks presented over the next twelve months.”
DWS Partner and MEF board director, Ingrid Silver welcomed guests with an overview of 
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