In the 21st century people need to have quick, efficient and reliable ways of communicating and engaging with others if they are to participate effectively in modern society. This can be done in many different ways – and both postal services and new communications technologies have a vital role to play in meeting the needs of consumers.

Effective postal services and a thriving post office network play a crucial role in bringing people together and providing access to many important services. Postal services and the post office network have a strong social function in Scotland, particularly in remote rural and island areas.

At Consumer Focus Scotland we work closely with our colleagues across the UK to ensure that postal service customers in Scotland get a fair deal. We seek to identify issues of particular interest and concern for Scottish postal customers, and we work with Royal Mail, Post Office Ltd and other postal service providers to promote improvements to services for the benefit of consumers.

Communications technologies increasingly affect how we access essential goods and services. They affect how we work, learn, shop, bank, pay bills, and socialise. They can also impact on how we use public services, seek medical care and deal with legal issues.

It is therefore essential that consumers have access to a range of different technologies, which meet their needs, offer them a high quality of service and provide good value for money. The technologies involved are complex. Cost-effective choices are not always obvious and wrong choices are easy to make. As communication ‘platforms’ change, so too does the content carried.

New services – such as Internet banking – are only available to those with access to the technology. Some goods, services and even job opportunities are only available on the Internet. These are just some of the changes that have transformed our experience of modern communication. This illustrates how vital this market is for practically everyone. In Scotland the geography and topography of the country means that this market is particularly critical. Issues around universal service and access to technology are especially relevant. An effective communications market can be an economic and social lifeline. The irony of the information society is that disadvantaged consumers who cannot afford to access the new technology face further marginalisation.