Ofcom Annual Review: What Changed in 2025 & What’s Ahead

Understanding what changed during the year, and what remains unresolved, is essential for planning the next phase of network investment, product design, and operations.

Price transparency and contract clarity took centre stage

The most immediate change for providers came with new rules in January 2025 requiring future price rises to be shown clearly in pounds and pence before a customer signs up. Inflation-linked uplifts and mid-contract increases became far more visible at the point of sale.

Operationally, this affected more than marketing copy. Sales journeys, billing systems, staff training, and complaint handling all needed adjustment. Ofcom has already confirmed it will carry out an interim review of these changes by spring 2026, with a fuller assessment due in 2027.

The direction of travel is clear. Price transparency is now a standing regulatory priority, and further refinement rather than relaxation should be expected.

Wholesale access and the run-up to TAR 2026

During 2025, Ofcom also published its latest monitoring of Openreach’s independence. The conclusion was relatively stable: only a small number of compliance issues were identified, and the existing governance commitments remain in place.

The more significant development sits ahead. The Telecoms Access Review 2026 (TAR 2026) will reset the wholesale fixed access framework for the 2026–2031 period. This review is expected to address wholesale pricing, access to passive infrastructure such as ducts and poles, and conditions that influence investment incentives.

For ISPs, particularly those reliant on wholesale products or planning geographic expansion, the outcome of TAR 2026 will shape margin assumptions and product strategy for years rather than months.

A clearer regulatory direction on AI

In June 2025, Ofcom set out its first cross-sector AI strategy. Rather than prescribing specific technologies, the regulator focused on outcomes such as consumer safety, network security, and market resilience.

While no new General Conditions were introduced, expectations are forming. Providers using AI for fraud detection, automated decision-making, or network optimisation should expect greater scrutiny around transparency, reliability, and governance over time.

The message for ISPs is not to stop innovating, but to ensure that AI-driven processes can be explained, evidenced, and controlled if questioned.

Online safety and children’s protection requirements

2025 also saw progress on the Online Safety Act, particularly through updated Protection of Children Codes of Practice published in April. These introduced clearer expectations around risk assessment and mitigation, with key compliance milestones landing in July 2025.

Although content moderation obligations often sit with platforms rather than connectivity providers, the direction matters. Ofcom’s work points toward a broader view of digital responsibility, where data handling, network analytics, and service design are considered part of the safety ecosystem.

Indirect regulatory exposure is increasing, even where obligations are shared.

What this means for ISPs and vendors in practice

Taken together, Ofcom’s 2025 activity points to a regulatory environment that values preparedness and evidence. Pricing clarity, switching processes, data transparency, and operational control are all under closer examination.

For ISPs, this places emphasis on systems that support clear customer communication, efficient migration, and consistent service delivery. For vendors and partners, it increases demand for secure platforms, flexible policy controls, and tools that can demonstrate compliance when required.

Euroroute supports ISPs through no-touch CPE deployment, Cloud ACS-based management, and operational processes that simplify reprovisioning and switching while maintaining visibility and control across the device lifecycle.

Preparing for a more structured 2026–2031 cycle

2025 set expectations rather than final outcomes. The major regulatory decisions, particularly around wholesale access, still lie ahead. ISPs that treat this period as a chance to align operations, systems, and partnerships with emerging regulatory priorities will be better placed as new rules land. Contact Euroroute today to explore how our CPE partnerships and operational solutions can support your ISP compliance, efficiency, and sustainable growth.