There is to be no waiting around for standards to emerge before the UK can benefit from the Telepoint cordless phone concept pioneered here, which could lead to a revolution in personal communications. The Department of Trade & Industry has decided to award between two and four licences, each with a life of 12 years, to build systems and operate services – and is not going to hang about: would-be franchise holders have just four weeks to get their applications in. Proprietary protocols will be permitted for the first two years, but to get a licence, firms will have to commit to switch their networks over to a common standard by the end of 1990 so that one phone can be used with any of the networks. The Department will consult with the Office of Telecommunications before deciding who should be awarded licences.
