British telecoms group BT is facing new rules from regulator Ofcom to ensure competition in the super-fast broadband market.Ofcom is proposing new obligations forcing BT to maintain a sufficient margin between its wholesale and retail super-fast broadband charges to allow other operators profitably to match its prices.The watchdog said the rules would maintain BT's freedom to set wholesale prices for giving rivals so-called 'virtual unbundled local access' (VULA) to its network. BT provides its new BT Sport channels free to its super-fast broadband customers, and the proposed new rules would take into account the costs and revenues of these sport channels. Ofcom has made the move in light of the expansion of the super-fast broadband market since it forced BT to offer rivals access to its fibre network, when there were fewer than 100,000 super-fast broadband connections. The number of such connections has risen from fewer than 100,00 to 2.7m and take-up is set to increase in the coming years. One in four UK domestic fixed broadband connections is now 'super-fast', offering a headline speed of 30 Mbit/s or more.The news follows Ofcom's announcement last month of its intention to set out proposals on the issue.It plans a consultation due to end on August 28th and expects to publish a final statement on its decisions later in the year. Separately on Thursday, Ofcom said it had decided against taking action on a complaint about BT's super-fast broadband fees from rival TalkTalk last year. TalkTalk claimed BT failed to maintain a sufficient margin between its VULA wholesale and superfast-broadband retail prices. Ofcom said the investigation was separate from the rules it was proposing for BT under European telecoms regulations. PW