DECC Consultation on the Smart Metering Implementation Programme - Data Communications Company Regulatory and Commercial Framework

The Department of Energy and Climate Change ("DECC") has issued a consultation on the detailed policy design of the regulatory and commercial framework for the Data and Communications Company ("DCC").

DCC's principal role will be to communicate with smart meters at all domestic gas and electricity consumer premises.  It will be appointed through a competitive process and will be responsible for managing the services it needs to communicate with the smart meters (those services will also be competitively procured, with the initial contracts being developed by Government as part of the Smart Metering Implementation Programme).

The consultation seeks stakeholders' views on the Government's detailed policy proposals in respect of the regulatory and commercial framework to support the establishment and licensing of the DCC, including in relation to:

  • the establishment of the role of DCC (a new licensable activity) in the gas and electricity legislative framework;
  • DCC licence conditions;
  • DCC performance incentives;
  • DCC cost recovery and charges;
  • Wide Area Network requirements for the provision of DCC core services;
  • the adoption of foundation stage communication contracts; and
  • the licence application process.

Responses should be sent to dccg@decc.gsi.gov.uk by 24 November 2011.

For more information on the consultation, click here.

This article was written for Law-Now, CMS Cameron McKenna's free online information service. To register for Law-Now, please go to www.law-now.com/law-now/mondaq

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The original publication date for this article was 04/10/2011.