영국의 통신이용자 보호법제와 피해구제절차 (The Legal System and Dispute Resolution for Communications Consumers in the U.K.)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 아주대학교 법학연구소
· 수록지 정보 : 아주법학 / 3권 / 2호 / 71 ~ 95페이지
· 저자명 : 허순철

초록

영국의 통신법이 규정하고 있는 통신이용자의 개념에는 국내 거주 개인뿐만 아니라 ‘10인 이하의 근로자를 고용한 사업자’도 포함되고 있다는 점이 특이하다. 한편 통신법은 EU 지침에 근거하여 제정된 법으로서 통신관련 규제기관으로서 Ofcom에게 여러 가지 권한을 부여하고 있다. 이에 따라 Ofcom은 통신사업자가 통신이용자의 불만을 처리하는 지침을 만들어 시행하도록 관리․감독을 하고, 만약 통신이용자의 불만이 해결되지 않을 경우에는 Otelo와 같은 옴부즈맨을 이용하여 불만을 해결하도록 하고 있다. 다만, 통신이용자가 Otelo를 이용하기 위해서는 최초에 불만을 제기한 때로부터 8주가 경과하거나 통신사업자로부터 ‘deadlock letter’를 받은 후여야 한다는 점은 우리와 다르다고 하겠다.
한편 ‘Consumer Direct’와 같이 소비자가 권리를 구제받을 수 있도록 정보를 제공하는 전화 및 온라인 서비스도 있으며, 2008년부터 새로 문을 연 ‘Consumer Focus’가 법률에 근거한 조사권한을 행사하는 것으로 보이므로 앞으로 이에 대한 검토도 필요하다고 본다.

영어초록

The Legal System and Dispute Resolution for Communications Consumers in the U.K.

Soon Chul Huh




The term ‘communications consumer’ is more commonly used than ‘communications user’ in the U.K. Under the Communications Act of 2003, the word ‘consumer’ is referred to “domestic and small business customer” meaning a customer of communications provider who is neither—(a) himself a communications provider; nor (b) a person who is a customer in respect of an undertaking carried on by him for which more than ten individuals work. Ofcom explains that complaint means an expression of dissatisfaction made to a communications provider related to its products or services, or the complaints-handling process itself, where a response or resolution is explicitly or implicitly expected.
Under the Act, Ofcom is an independent organization which regulates the UK’s broadcasting, telecommunications and wireless communications sectors. General condition 14.4, made by Ofcom, requires all communications providers to have a complaints handling code of practice. For example, BT(British Telecommunications) has code of practice for residential customers and small businesses including its code on how to make a complaint and its complaints handling procedure. However, if a communications consumer is still not happy after following the BT's procedure and he has received a deadlock letter or it has been eight weeks since his first complaint was made, he can refer his complaint to the Telecommunications Ombudsman, Otelo.
As you may already know, Alternative Dispute Resolution is a well established and important mechanism for giving a consumer access to justice where recourse to the court system by the consumer may be impossible or impractical due to cost and resource restraints. Therefore, Otelo hears disputes from most of the fixed telecommunications industry and from two of the four major mobile operators including BT, and it is a good mechanism for dispute resolution in the U.K.

참고자료

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