[Ben]

The BBC have an article on the ongoing issues with the Sitefinder service from OFCOM.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7024206.stm


The Sitefinder website is maintained by media regulator Ofcom, following a request from the government in 2000.

But mobile firms stopped giving data to the site last year after Ofcom was told [by the Information Commissioner] it must publish grid references of all the masts in a searchable database.
I'm not entirely sure what to think. The IC is possibly being just a little bit too demanding here.

[miffed]

....or it could be argued that OFCOM are not being demanding enough ?

If ofcom don't actually know where the sites are , then how do they know if the networks met \meet the coverage deadlines they set out for 3g ? ..surely they don't just take the networks word for it?

[solo12002]

" surely they don't just take the networks word for it?"

Why not is this not what ofcom nomally does, I mean, theres no price fixing of mobile call rates etc in the UK?

I mean they mostly charge the same rates for SMS,Video calls, MMS, x net calls oh ay and billing.

what is one to think in respect of ofcom, who by their lack of action on a lot of issues make you wonder how much they get from the networks for their back pockets!

[3g-g]

I think for the sheer amount of money that has come the governments way, in tax, VAT, inland revenue, sales of spectrum... whatever, I'd say the operators are fairly within their rights to be slightly pissy about this, is it not the operators that keep Sitefinder funded anyway? How about they just stop funding that, I net the government wouldn't step in to keep it going.

I'm also pretty sure when new sites are applied for at local authorities grid references are given, I know that's how I find mine, so why does Westminster not talk to all its local authorities and ask them for the info?

[Nero]

From reading both the BBC article and a Guardian article published here:

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2164196,00.html

My understanding is that all the operators are unhappy that the IC are demanding that OFCOM make the raw data that is supplied to them available to others. So grid references are supplied to OFCOM, but at present are not universally published by SiteFinder.


The mobile phone companies fear that if all the data behind the site is published, competitors will be able to locate "holes" in each other's networks and make use of them in localised advertising campaigns.

[Ben]

That's correct, though currently OFCOM isn't being supplied by the networks with any of the mast information for the Sitefinder service, so I sure hope something gets resolved soon. I know the little Sitefinder map for finding base stations sucks incredibly, but it's better than nothing and adequate (just) for pretty much any legitimate purpose. I can't see a problem with keeping it as it is, provided the data stays up to date.

I think the IC is over-nannying this one.