USO Research

Following considerable change in the postal industry in recent years, there is increasing debate surrounding the Universal Service Obligation and whether its current form is both sustainable and fulfilling the needs of citizens. As the consumer watchdog for the postal industry, Postwatch is keen to understand the issues surrounding the USO debate from a citizen’s perspective, in order to contribute to the debate and represent citizens’ viewpoints correctly. Evidence of citizens’ needs and wants, and an analysis of the current and possible future USO structures will allow Postwatch to understand the issues fully, and represent citizens accordingly.

The primary objective of the research is to assess whether the current USO is fulfilling the needs of citizens, with ‘citizens’ being all postal users and potential users, and both senders and receivers. Further objectives that will feed into and from this primary objective are: to assess what citizens’ needs are from a USO; to assess the effects on the existing USO from present and future competition; to assess alternative models of USO provision; and to undertake a valuation of the USO from the perspective of citizens.

The project was recently commissioned, with results expected to be received by Postwatch at the end of the year and published in early 2008.