Royal Mail has requested Ofcom to permit tracking for all first and second-class parcels, citing concerns over proposed regulatory changes to the universal service obligation (USO). In its consultation response, Royal Mail argued that current restrictions on parcel tracking do not meet customer demand and could lead to higher prices due to added reliability targets. Meanwhile, the £3.6bn takeover of Royal Mail’s parent company by Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský is set to finalize this month, with Ofcom expected to announce its decisions on USO reforms by summer.