Information Commissioner's Office

Summary: The complainant requested data about each mobile phone base station held within the Sitefinder database together with the national grid references for each site. The complainant requested that the information be provided as a text file, csv file, access database or Excel spreadsheet. Ofcom initially refused the request citing Regulation 6 (1) (b) which refers to information already publicly available. At the internal review stage Ofcom decided that in fact the complete database that had been requested was not all available in the public domain. Therefore it refused to provide the database relying upon Regulations 12 (5) (a) (National Security and Public Safety exception) and (c) (Intellectual Property Rights exception). The Commissioner found that the public authority did not comply with the Environmental Information Regulations in refusing to provide the information. The Commissioner did not consider that disclosure would adversely affect national security, public safety or intellectual property rights. Therefore he has ordered Ofcom to disclose the requested information to the complainant. The Information Tribunal has ruled on this decision and has dismissed the appeal.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: EIR 12.5.a - Complaint Upheld, EIR 12.5.c - Complaint Upheld