Ofcom Regulations that may affect our
customers
Update - 17th December 2007
Ofcom advises carriers to
REMOVE the
Pre Call Announcement that it introduced in September 2007
Removal of the requirement for pre-call announcements on
070 numbers -
See Ofcom Website
Or Read below.
The 070 number prefix is intended to identify those numbers
as being “personal numbering” services which enable the holder
of the number to be contacted whatever their location. 070
numbers have been widely abused, in particular for scamming
purposes, in many cases with consumers believing they are
responding to a missed call from a mobile number, which also
commences with “07”.
In Ofcom’s statement
Raising confidence in telephone numbers, published on 31 May
2007, we announced measures aimed at protecting against such
abuses by two principal means:
- first, from 1 September 2007 Communications Providers
have been required to provide free pre-call announcements (PCAs)
for calls to 070 numbers where either the per minute or the
per call charge exceeds 20p so that consumers would be aware
of the maximum charges that could apply to such calls;
- second, we reiterated our earlier policy decision from
27 July 2006 to evaluate the long term future of personal
numbers by reviewing the situation at the end of 2007. Our
original intention was to migrate current 070 services to
another number range by the end of July 2009.
Since the introduction of the PCAs in September, Ofcom has
received a number of complaints about them. In particular, we
have identified certain automated calling services provided on
the 070 range designed to protect human life or property, where
use of the PCAs has caused these remotely activated calling
services to fail because of the dialling delay introduced by the
PCA. This potentially endangers the life and security of people
who depend on the reliability of such services.
Examples of this would be a personal safety or burglar alarm
which, when activated, triggers an auto-dialler to contact a
monitoring centre. The reason for the time-out is that in the
event that the call is not completed, the unit will
automatically disconnect and try again for a set period or a
certain number of times. For many such units the duration of the
time-out means that after the PCA has been played there is
little or no time for the call to be completed before the unit
disconnects and retries. Ofcom does not regard the use of such
services as falling within the generally understood use of
personal numbering services. One option would be to require
these applications to be moved from the personal numbering range
however, this would require a minimum of several months lead
time and not address the risks quickly enough.
Given the risk of such services not working as a result of
PCAs, Ofcom has already asked the major fixed line providers to
lift the PCA in respect of three 100k 070 number blocks where we
have identified such systems as being used. We have taken steps
to identify the full extent of the use of such emergency-type
service. However, given the widespread use of 070 numbers, and
the number which have been allocated, it has been impossible to
identify all of them. There remains, therefore, a residual risk
which we are unable to eliminate, that there are still
emergency-type services in use which we are unaware of.
In light of this risk we have decided that we will withdraw
the requirement for PCAs on 070 numbers with immediate effect.
We have already asked the fixed line providers representing the
majority of users to remove the PCA, and one of the purposes of
this statement is to ask all other Communications Providers to
do so.
We will in due course undertake a consultation to confirm
this decision, which will amend General Condition 17 and the
designation of 070 numbers in the National Telephone Numbering
Plan. In the meantime we will not enforce these requirements as
they currently stand in relation to PCA on 070 numbers.
We continue to have major concerns about telephone number
abuse, and remain committed to the identifying and reducing
scams and other abuses by appropriate means:
- we will take appropriate enforcement action where we
identify abuse on 070 numbers;
- we remind service providers that Controlled Premium Rate
Services (“CPRS”) made on 070, rather than 09, numbers are
subject to the PRS condition and therefore PhonepayPlus will
have the ability to take actions if there are problems
(where the call charge is 10ppm or above);
- in line with Ofcom’s earlier statements, we will
commence a review into the longer term future of 070
numbers. This will examine the future use of personal
numbering services after the ending of the 070 personal
numbering range, in particular, action to bring forward the
migration of current 070 services.
- What are 070 Numbers?
-
What changes have been introduced by Ofcom?
-
What are the problems with the Ofcom changes
- How to
complain to Ofcom about the changes to 070 numbers
What are 070 numbers
Here are some facts that have remained unchanged since 2000
Personal Numbers were introduced to allow users to retain a
single number, and divert the single number to different numbers
at will. Many businesses use 070 numbers to allow callers to
have a single contact number that allows them to be contacted at
Home, at Work or on their Mobile or in some cases on
International Numbers.
Fact: Calls from a BT Landline will cost callers 37.5p
per minute at peak times to a K rate number
Fact: Calls from a BT Landline will cost callers 25p per
minute at off peak times to a K rate number
Fact: Calls from a BT Landline will cost callers 12.5p
per minute at weekends to a K rate number
Fact: K rate 070 Personal number allows subscribers to
divert calls to UK Landlines and Mobiles and many International
Destinations Free of Charge. (We distribute 07005 9, and 07092,
and 07050, K rate Numbers)
Fact: Calls from a BT Landline will cost callers
16.71p per minute at peak times to a D rate number
Fact: Calls from a BT Landline will cost callers 9.85p
per minute at off peak times to a D rate number
Fact: Calls from a BT Landline will cost callers 9.85p
per minute at weekends to a D rate number
Fact: D rate 070 Personal number allows subscribers to
divert calls to UK Landlines and many International Landline
Destinations Free of Charge. (We distribute 07005 8, and 07020,
D rate Numbers)
Fact: Calls from a BT Landline will cost callers 50p
per minute at peak times to a PN2 rate number
Fact: Calls from a BT Landline will cost callers 50p per
minute at off peak times to a PN2 rate number
Fact: Calls from a BT Landline will cost callers 50p per
minute at weekends to a PN2 rate number
Fact: PN2 rate 070 Personal number allows
subscribers to divert calls to UK Landlines and Mobiles and most
International Destinations Free of Charge. (We distribute 07077
PN2 rate Numbers)
What changes have been introduced by Ofcom
September 2007 - This has now
been superceded by a Directive to REMOVE the Pre Call
Announcement (Dated 17th Dec 2007)
Recently Ofcom introduced changes to the way calls to 070
numbers are handled. This change was in response to concerns by
callers about inflated costs of calling 070 numbers from certain
carriers, and the fact that these costs were not transparent.
Ofcom decided that all carriers must play a "Free to Air"
message to callers when they call 070 Personal Numbers, where
the pence per minute rate or the cost per call rate exceeds 20p.
The message that BT plays is as follows:
"You have dialed a personal number
which starts 070. This is not a mobile number. 070 calls from BT
cost up to 50p per minute or a fixed fee of up to 51p, charges
from other operators mobiles or payphones may vary. You have not
been charged for this message"
Other Carriers such as Orange, and other networks are also
playing similar messages although the actual rate may vary.
What are the problems with the Ofcom changes
Many subscribers have complained to us that:
- This message is ruining their business, because callers
are hanging up before the message ends.
- The information provided is inaccurate, and covers too
broad a range of numbers - Not all calls are actually
charged at 50p per minute or more, and in fact many are
charge at substantially lower pence per minute rates.
- This message is too long, lasting approx 20 seconds
- There is no "opt out" to fast forward the message to get
straight through to the subscriber
- This change was not communicated to them by Ofcom or any
of the Carriers.
Ofcom have requested that we encourage any subscribers with
complaints to contact them directly about the changes to the 070
numbers, and we strongly urge you to do so. If you do not
complain there is no hope of this disastrous situation being
reversed. Ofcom have advised us that that they have opened a
case file to allow them to monitor complaints. Ultimately what
we think most subscribers are looking for is:
- An immediate suspension of the FREE to AIR message to
allow subscribers time to find alternative numbers for their
customers to call. or
- A system that allows subscribers to announce an
alternative number to the caller before the FREE to AIR
message ends. or
- A fairer, shorter and more accurate presentation of the
message to accurately reflect the cost of the calls.
To
complain to Ofcom please either:
Telephone Ofcom on
020 7981 3040
Fax Ofcom on
020 7981 3333
Email Ofcom on
contact@ofcom.org.uk
There are things you may want to consider when contacting
Ofcom to complain:
Please include:
- Your Name
- Your Address
- Your 070 Number
- How do you use your 070 number? What is the nature of
your business
- The number that rings when a caller calls your 070
number
- Your Contact Number (for Ofcom to contact you)
- What is the impact on your business?
a) Callers dropped the call before connecting
b) Lost Sales
c) Will have to change stationary
d) Will have to change sign writing on cars, vans, or
display material
e) Will have to change sales literature
- How long was the message being played to your caller?
(We timed it at 20 seconds)
- Was there an Opt out that allows callers to skip the
message?
- Was the pence per minute rate on the announcement
accurate?
- Was there any delay after the message was played before
connecting to your terminating number?
- Were these changes communicated to you by your Carrier,
i.e BT, Carphone Warehouse etc?
- How do you use your 070 number? What is the nature of
your business
- What would you like Ofcom to do about this?
- Would you like Ofcom to respond in writing?
(recommended)
Please take the time to Complain to Ofcom, only your
representations will effect any changes.
You can read the Telephone Numbering Plan from Ofcom by
Clicking the Link BELOW:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/numberingreview/statement/statement.pdf
or by visiting the Ofcom Website at:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk
You can see Full Pricing for calls to 070 numbers via a BT
Landline by Clicking the link below:
http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumer/consumerProducts/pdf/SpecialisedNos.pdf
or by visiting the BT website at:
www.bt.com
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