Comms regulator Ofcom names its next-gen boss

Policy wonk Ed Richards replaces industry-savvy Stephen Carter at the UK communications watchdog

Richards: understands the political landscape

Ofcom has appointed former government aide Ed Richards as its new chief executive, with watchers saying he will lean on his political experience to address media-telecoms convergence.

Richards originally joined the watchdog in 2003 in a executive position. Previously, he was a senior policy advisor to government on media and the internet, and he also worked in strategy planning at the BBC.

That background could come in handy as Ofcom builds on infrastructure changes achieved under Stephen Carter’s reign to address issues such as next-generation networks and the coming together of broadcasters, carriers and service providers.

“He knows his way around Ofcom and he’s well placed with his background in Number 10 and Number 11 [Downing Street] to understand the political landscape,” said Luke Gibbs, founder of the OfcomWatch web site.

However, Gibbs added that it has become unattractive for many firms to invest in UK telecoms. “What is the attraction for long-term telecoms investment? There isn’t one, because it’s so difficult to make money,” he argued.

Separately, Avaya last week revealed research showing that 93 percent of call-centre managers backed Ofcom’s regulations to stop “silent calling” where automated calls are made but no agent is available to speak to recipients.