The BT response to the "Way Forward" consultation is now available at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/nts_forward/responses/af/BT.pdf - I believe this is worth pointing out separately as this is clearly an important and much anticipated response.

Plus the BBC's response at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/nts_forward/responses/af/BBC.pdf

I think this is a fair summary of BT's response

1.      Right boys, we’ve been rumbled on 0870 by those obnoxious consumers, so we’re going to give in to charging them at 01/02 rates
But we’re going to make a big song and dance about it when we do, by making them part of the inclusive free calls on BT Together, pretending that we’re doing them all a big favour, rather than ending this big con

2.      OFCOM – you’re faffing around with 0845, so sort that one out – make it the same as Local rate and be done with – then we can include it too in the big PR launch when we put 0870s in BT Together inclusive minutes.

3.      Telecom company / Rip off bank land - just switch your numbers over to 0844 or 0872, (or maybe 0871 if we can confuse OFCOM sufficiently over that one) and the consumers will be none the wiser! 0845 and 0870 will be history in a coouple of years, and we'll be back to the current land of lucre

4.      OFCOM - your market research is crap (claiming to show there are no call centre queues) but if it had been any good, it would have proven market failure. So thanks very much, because now you’re not allowed to regulate!

5.      We just ignore the other calls with revenue share, such as 070, 118 numbers, proposed Police 101 number, 0800 calls from Mobiles, and you can all carry on making a fortune from these.

The BBC's licensing arm has provided a more comprehensive response at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/nts_forward/responses/af/BBCTVLicensing.pdf

The following paragraph will give you a clue to the fact that the Beeb is not happy about the potential removal of revenue share from 0870.

<<
TV Licensing has 161 ‘0870’ numbers. Capita has an agreement with BT which governs the
use of such numbers, however, the numbers are designated TV Licensing numbers which are
‘owned’ by the BBC.
>>

an interesting response from the beeb.

i bet most of the juicy stuff is in the annexe, ill try and get that out of them on an FOI or even get my MP to get a copy under parliamenty priviladge

Have you read the CarPhoneWarehouse response mistitled as TheLocalRadioCompany by the Ofcom nincompoops mc661:-

www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/nts_forward/responses/sz/TheLocalRadioCompany.pdf

Utterly disgraceful given their aggressive sale of 01/02 calling plans misdescibed as "All UK Fixed Line Calls" by their TalkTalk brand.

wrote on Dec 14^th, 2005 at 11:18pm:

Have you read the CarPhoneWarehouse response mistitled as TheLocalRadioCompany by the Ofcom nincompoops mc661:- www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/nts_forward/responses/sz/TheLocalRadioCompany.pdf Utterly disgraceful given their aggressive sale of 01/02 calling plans misdescibed as "All UK Fixed Line Calls" by their TalkTalk brand.

seemed to have fixed it as im getting a 404

mc661 wrote on Dec 15^th, 2005 at 12:34pm:

seemed to have fixed it as im getting a 404

Yes I have had an email from Matt Peacock at Ofcom to say it is now listed as Car Phone Warehouse.  It seems The Local Radio Company didn't even respond to this consultation.

The response from COLT is also worth a look.  The shortage of 0871 numbers will apparently be a shortage of 10p per minute ones because the number allocations are price banded.  And to think that I imagined some of these scamsters would be content to move to 0844 with no ICSTIS control or call queuing restrictions. :o

Apparently the Ofcom Consumer Panel are still working on their response. :-X