David Currie will step down as chairman of Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, next year after almost seven years in the job.

As the inaugural chairman, Lord Currie oversaw the creation of Ofcom, helping merge the UK's five legacy watchdogs into one converged communications "super-regulator".

Lord Currie was appointed chairman at the end of June 2002, and his initial five-year term was extended in January last year for another two years to the end of July 2009.

He will step down in Easter next year, a couple of months earlier than expected. An Ofcom spokesperson said there was no reason for him going early, Lord Currie had simply chosen that date to depart.

The watchdog said the process to appoint a successor has begun and it intends to advertise the role in September. The appointment is overseen by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

As chairman, Lord Currie headed Ofcom in its formative years.

One of Ofcom's milestones during his tenure was the strategic review of telecoms which led to BT unbundling its phone lines. The move allowed other companies, such as Carphone Warehouse, to put their own equipment in BT's exchanges and offer customers fixed line and broadband services.

It opened up the market to more competition and led to a more rapid roll-out of broadband across the UK.

Ofcom also liberalised the use of spectrum. The new technologically and service neutral approach allows companies to choose what they use the airwaves for.

Lord Currie has previously served on the board of Abbey National and on the board of Ofgem, the UK energy regulator. He sits on the cross-benches in the House of Lords as Lord Currie of Marylebone, having been a member of both the Labour and the Conservative parties.

In addition, culture secretary Andy Burnham and John Hutton, business and enterprise secretary, today re-appointed Philip Graf as deputy chairman of Ofcom for a further three years until the end of 2011.

Ofcom has appointed Stuart McIntosh, competition partner, and Peter Phillips, partner, strategy and market developments, as executive board members with effect from July 2008.

Peter Teague has been appointed as chairman of the Ofcom audit committee for a further two year term to October 17, 2010.