Oftel, the outgoing telecoms regulator, said today it is handing a "strong legacy" to the new communications super-regulator, Ofcom.

The director general of telecommunications, David Edmonds, said:

"In its final year, Oftel has in no way reduced its commitment to effective regulation in the interests of the UK consumer and we hand a strong legacy to Ofcom.

"The huge amount of work leading to the implementation of the new EU framework and the reviews of key telecoms markets ensures a robust basis for regulation in the UK.

"And the fact that we reached key milestones during 2003 of 2 million lines with carrier pre-selection, 3 million broadband users, and over 50 per cent of homes with Internet access shows that consumers have benefited from Oftel's firm commitment to a competitive telecoms market."