I [obv] agree a lot with what you are saying here.
This is why I think proper competition helps to challenge this and give consumers greater choice.
I've switched to a provider who will not raise prices for the duration of the fixed contract period (24mnths) and I am lucky to have a choice. It's not fair for the vast majority who do not have these choices.

we need to make sure that market share is spread sufficiently so that no one market player has too much control which then impedes on the pace of innovation, service quality and consumer pricing.

I don’t agree.

Whilst competition is OK, this is often done by price cutting, and that does not assist innovation or service quality.

In reply to a post by SpeedyPdA:

Hi burble
I wasn't aware ISPs were given specific permissions as it relates to setting price increases, I thought consumer pricing was set by the companies as they wish (with the exception of BT where they cannot go too low for anti-competitive reasons). But not something I know too much about. I didn't know Sky - very interesting.
As another has commented earlier in the thread, I have made the decision to go with another provider while I run down the last couple of months of my BT contract. The other provider is HeyBroadband, an alternative network provider which runs their own FTTP infrastructure, on the smaller side with 5000 customers in the UK, reasonable price, fixed price for the term of the contract. So far so good but time will tell if these new entrants are able to keep prices low and service high.

Most ISPs have it in their contracts that the they will increase prices by CPI + a %age. Sky just state there will be an annual increase. Historically, Sky have never increased prices by more than 10% and this year seems to be no different. My increase with Sky is only 9%.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

we need to make sure that market share is spread sufficiently so that no one market player has too much control which then impedes on the pace of innovation, service quality and consumer pricing.

I don’t agree.

Whilst competition is OK, this is often done by price cutting, and that does not assist innovation or service quality.

So where do you buy fuel for vehicles that you own?

Not that I am here to promote sky, I don't have their products nor do I plan to at this stage, but from what I have now heard from a few people... their price increase has been below CPI and that I commend as I genuinely believe that telco and media have not truly had their cost bases increase to the same extent as how CPI is calculated. The basket of goods/services to calculate CPI is different to the costs of a media / telco company. and it seems Sky is more accurately reflecting this.

This doesn't take away from the fact that telco and media companies have been hit in other ways.

Surely it's Ofcom we have to thank for this? I think it was early last year that Ofcom agreed with ISPs for annual increase of February CPI+3.9%. With years of low interest and CPI rates this was OK but anyone with any sense could see the bubble forming even without the antics of certain politicians. It was no surprise when inflation rose to 10% and the ISPs gleefully imposed the hefty price increases they were granted by Ofcom.

So where do you buy fuel for vehicles that you own?

Most often charged at home.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

So where do you buy fuel for vehicles that you own?

Most often charg ed at home.

With the rediculous price of electricity at the moment I hope that is not to much!

In reply to a post by Michael_Chare:

With the rediculous price of electricity at the moment I hope that is not to much!

EV's charged at home only pay the 5% VAT, compared to out and about. Hard to compare as we don't have petrol/diesel sold in kilo watts, but its generally cheaper, just not as cheap as it was. Where its expensive is the public chargers... (and why those that can't charge at home are upset at the plans to force everyone to electric).

Most EV folks in the know are using OVO Charge Anytime at home