UK regulator says carriers should oversee paid content
updated 04:00 pm EDT, Fri July 29, 2011
Ofcom proposals may shake up paid mobile content
UK regulator Ofcom proposed on Friday that paid smartphone content bought through a carrier's site should be regulated by carriers and not PhonepayPlus, as it is currently. The content on an industry-owned Payforit gateway should be overseen by PhonepayPlus, it continued. Wireless providers asked Ofcom to look into the matter, but they didn't want Payforit content to be regulated.
Providers Vodafone, Orange, 3, T-Mobile and O2 performed mystery shopping exercises at Payforit and found the site didn't comply to its own rules, with the breakdown illustrated below. This could pose a problem for Payforit, a jointly-agreed billing scheme, with individual providers likely wanting to bill for content on an individual basis.
Ofcom's proposals are out for consultation. [via MocoNews]
