Page 5 - Lawtext Utility Law Review Journal Sample

152 ULR 16[2006/2007]4 OPINION

those of viewers in the future, is regrettable. The decision smacks of a willingness,
reminiscent of an earlier era, to dispense with competition in favour of regulation
and to defer to the interests of suppliers and the regulator rather than the long-term
interests of end users.
It may not matter too much in this case. When high definition broadcasting
takes off, the limitations of terrestrial transmission will become clear, and programmes
will be delivered by advanced cable and fibre networks or by satellite. But even so,
the Commission’s willingness to sacrifice competition in this case is a worrying
precedent.

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