UK’s CAT refers BSkyB, TalkTalk counter appeal on telecom charges

The UK’s Competition Appeals Tribunal has referred an appeal by BSkyB and TalkTalk over proposed telecom price controls to the Competition Commission.

The pair challenged regulator Ofcom’s ruling on the prices that it allowed BT’s Openreach division to charge to ISPs for access to some wholesale telecom services. The charges relate to local-loop unbundling charges and wholesale line rental charges covering the period 2012-14.

BT had earlier also appealed against Ofcom’s pricing ruling and that appeal has also been referred to the Commission, which will now look at both cases in parallel.

BT has been granted permission to intervene in the Sky/TalkTalk appeal whereas Sky and TalkTalk have been granted permission to intervene in BT’s appeal. Mobile telecom provider Everything Everywhere is meanwhile also intervening in both appeals.