Ofcom appoint Consumer Panel Chairman

Ofcom have announced the appointment of Colette Bowe as the Chairman of their independent Consumer Panel, the body set up under the Communications Act 2003 to advise Ofcom on the consumer interest in the broadcasting and telecommunications sectors.
Bowe will be responsible for chairing a panel of 10-12 part-time members representing to Ofcom the interests of individual consumers and small businesses. She is currently Chairman of the Council of the Telecoms Ombudsman Service (Otelo) - the alternative dispute resolution service for the telecoms industry - and will stand down from this post when she takes up her role with the Consumer Panel.
Bowe said: “The Consumer Panel will be a critical friend to the Ofcom Board. The Panel’s recommendations to Ofcom will be supported by independent research and will perform an important role in helping inform Ofcom’s decision-making.
"The Panel will raise issues of consumer interest, including those affecting rural consumers, the elderly, people with disabilities and those who are on low incomes or otherwise disadvantaged. It will also address issues of importance for small businesses.”
(GB)