UK phones battle looms

THE prospect of a tough battle between BT and telephone watchdog Oftel over pricing and fair trading increased. Oftel said its plans for a more liberal pricing regime depended on BT agreeing to submit to new fair trading measures. Oftel director general, Mr Don Cruickshank, published his final proposals for the new regulatory regime for the telecommunications giant to cover five years from next April. But the proposals were "indivisibly linked with his plans to take on powers allowing Oftel to prohibit anti competitive behaviour.