The Impda welcomes the Ofcom proposal document, at approx 117 pages it will take a while for us to gain the views of members and other dealers. However it has been noted that points raised and suggestions which dealers gave to Ofcom at the meeting in January have been incorporated into the document, in addition Ofcom has made reference to a dealer scheme and the use of an industry body to administer this. This is just what the IMPDA proposal suggested in our document presented at the Palace of Westminster.
Those critics, who said that the IMPDA would never achieve anything, have been proved wrong. Dealers have made a contribution to how the industry runs in the Ofcom document; the dealers have had a voice and have made their views known for the first time. They have been listened to and it will not stop there, dealers now will continue to be able to give their suggestions and observations in the future, so in effect the IMPDA has achieved its goal of getting the dealers voice heard.
The next stage is to talk to the networks, and in this we have already written to the Mobile Broadband Group, inviting them to a meeting. As yet they have not replied. It has to be said that for the networks to ignore this invitation would only be self destructive, especially as this was called for by Richard Benyon MP for Newbury, who has a major Network Operator in his constituency.
If the Ofcom document in what ever final form it takes is going to work well, then the networks have to start talking with dealers and not through distributors, but directly. We would again ask the networks through the Mobile Broadband Group to contact us now urgently to arrange this meeting. To ignore us would be a mistake and an affront to all those hard working dealers that bring those connections each day. Dealers want to work with the networks to better the industry as we have said many times. Now is the time to talk, and if this means we have to get Ofcom involved in order to do so then reluctantly we will. So we once again ask the Mobile Broadband Group to contact us either via email or to make life easier, if they cannot email us then please call us on 0844 884 9702.
If you are a dealer and would like to become a member of the IMPDA or just to get in touch to get advice, pass us information or stories, then we would be pleased to hear from you. We are always happy to hear your views or problems so we can take these up. We are asking dealers to come and join the IMPDA and don’t forget membership at this time is free. Send an email to memberships@impda.co.uk or you can sign up at www.impda.co.uk