After 17 years of supporting service providers in the telecoms sector and representing their needs to decision makers, ITSPA has made the move to rebrand as Comms Council UK. The decision, taken in consultation with members, was made by its Board to reflect the changing services of its membership and to support its engagement with its stakeholders.
Eli Katz, Chair of Comms Council UK stated, “The industry has transformed over the past two decades. Back in 2004, when ITSPA was formed, internet telephony was niche and still seen with trepidation. Now it’s the mainstream, with our members offering more than just phone calls to customers. It’s now a mix of services including video, messaging, chat and collaboration tools, with IP becoming the backbone of our communications networks. Whilst our mandate remains the same, we believed it was time for a refresh to also help support our broader activities with regulators and parliamentarians, the media, industry and consumers alike.”
The principal roles of Comms Council UK continue to focus on being:
- The voice of the industry; We engage with key stakeholders on behalf of the membership and help them prepare for regulatory and technical changes coming down the track.
- A convenor to develop best practice and solve problems; The members work together to help improve industry standards and tackle industry issues; all designed to improve the consumer experience.
- A forum to share insights and connect people; we are a sociable industry and want to learn from each other, via regular events, webinars and working groups to help educate members, build commercial opportunities, and foster new ideas.
Katz added “From an original dozen companies to an association of over 100 members, we go from strength to strength. Our members keep Britain talking, in its various guises and have been fundamental to supporting businesses and residential customers up and down the land during the Covid-19 pandemic.
There are numerous issues on the current agenda for Comms Council UK to tackle; the big one being the national PSTN switch off; the biggest change in UK telecoms in our generation. We are already working hard to make sure this process happens as smoothly as possible and that members are fully prepared to grow and support their customers through this huge change to the telecommunications sector. This will only continue to change how people communicate with each other, which is already shifting radically. Our members are ready for the many opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. We look forward to this new chapter in our trade association”.