Spoke to Geoff Brighton at Ofcom today to find out position of review of NTS services. Will publish document end of July and will then give everybody chance to respond!  However does not look good-he stated from their review number of companies migrating to non-geo numbers is not significant. Also revenue received from non-geo numbers is minimal compared to costs of setting up call centres and stated that if you do not pay through through call charges you would pay through higher costs of the product. Advised are to look at waiting times on line. It would appear another whitewash job is being prepared-can we organise a concerted protest through this site. I am only a junior member but feel that if we all respond our voice may be heard.  

After all of the evidence of actual performance so far in "consultations" what do you expect. As others have pointed out before what is really at the root of all of this is corruption and the government now having got its nose in the trough. There is no way in which these abuses can be contested by campaigning against the visible effect (which is the NGN scam). Realistically it could only be tackled by addressing the real issues head on, and I fear no one is going to do that. There is too much revenue at stake here! It is somewhat like fighting Drug Barons.

Only the EU could force any action now and I don't think that is likely. The other main problem is Apathy. Most telephone consumers don't care about these abuses and don't want to know. Evidently they don't mind paying up.  Look at the relatively small number of members on this forum. That is a good indication of the overall apathy amongst telephone consumers. We who protest are an extemely small minority. If 90% of telephone consumers protested to their MPs, telcos and MEPs the scenario might begin to look different, but until then ................

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...Most telephone consumers don't care about these abuses and don't want to know. Evidently they don't mind paying up....

I believe its because lack of knowledge of the true cost of 0845/0870 and the fact that they generate revenue.  If everyone was made aware by TV advertising (I know thats not possible because of the huge costs involved) that the likes of 0870 numbers cost nearly 8ppm daytime and not 'national rate' and the fact that these companies earn revenue from such calls, then I'm sure people would be more cautious about ringing these numbers and maybe even complain to the companies concerned and possibly even OfCOM (the useless piece of s*** they are).

I know they are looking at removing the misleading 'national rate' & 'local rate' description because its misleading but it has been misleading for at least a year and bloody OfCOM are only just looking into it and that must be because of the number of complaints they get otherwise I don't believe anything would have changed.

OfCOM are never going to rule against 0870 or re-classify them as premium rate because so many government departments would lose their income from these numbers and OfCOM work for the government.

Have just read my comments and it appears I have promoted myself from new to junior member. Unintentional and apologies.

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However does not look good - he (Geoff Brighton at Ofcom) stated from their review number of companies migrating to non-geo numbers is not significant. Also revenue received from non-geo numbers is minimal compared to costs of setting up call centres and stated that if you do not pay through through call charges you would pay through higher costs of the product

This has to be the most unbelievable statement these idiots at Ofcom have ever
made! As I have stated elsewhere, just look through any computer magazine.
Probably 80 to 90% of the firms advertising are using 0870 number. Listen to the
radio - advertisements are almost ALL to 0870 numbers. Concert tickets - 0870.
Insurance - 0870 ..... it just goes on and on. In fact, as has also been said
elsewhere, it will soon be the case that a geographic number for a UK business
will be very much the exception. I have asked the question before. Does anyone
have any idea of the extent of NGNs as a proportion of business numbers?
Probably a difficult statistic to find, but I'd wager it could be well over 50%!

But, of course, as others have said, these idiots at Ofcom have well and truly
got their noses in the swill, and no amount of pressure is going to get them
out. In addition, they are surreptitiously backed by BT who will do anything to
maintain their monopoly position, whilst paying lip service to a 'free and open
market'. Yeah - and pigs might fly!

It's a glum and depressing scenario for the future. Whilst real call costs fall
in just about every other industrial country, in the UK they continue to climb -
thanks to 0870! And don't even start on the relative costs of products .... because with almost universal 1-800 (free call) business numbers here in the US, we don't pay anything like most UK prices........!  ;)

wrote on May 26^th, 2005 at 12:52pm:

Yeah - and pigs might fly!

http://radio.cbc.ca/programs/2newhours/images/flying_p.gif

;D

Wonderful, Smasher!

My point entirely.......  ;D

Reference to mikeinnc comment about the number of non geo numbers in circulation I asked Geoff Brighton if he knew the number of 0844/0845/0870/0871 that were currently being used.  He stated that OFCOM did not know as they only released the numbers to intermediarys, but had no control over the numbers in use.  I then asked how many they had released-he declined to say.  I think the question I should have asked, is for a month by month breakdown of the new numbers released and so build up a pictue of how these numbers are proliferating.  If I get any joy I will post on site.

Quote:

...I asked Geoff Brighton if he knew the number of 0844/0845/0870/0871 that were currently being used.  He stated that OFCOM did not know as they only released the numbers to intermediarys, but had no control over the numbers in use.  I then asked how many they had released-he declined to say.  I think the question I should have asked, is for a month by month breakdown of the new numbers released and so build up a pictue of how these numbers are proliferating.  If I get any joy I will post on site.

That would give us an idea of just how popular amongst companies (and our government) these numbers (specifically 087x numbers) are.  I'm guessing it would have to be asked for under the FOI?

I agree will probably have to try the FOI route. Quick calculation gives number of numbers available in each catagory as ten million (less one!) Must be nearly all used up by now!!!!