I use 1188 for some overseas calls.  Its OK, not brilliant.

The really good bit - once you have composed the number but before it starts ringing a robot says 3pence per minute or whatever.  Perfect!

This transparency would fix the 0870 issue and many other phone cost hassles.  Thats what Ofcom should make happen.

(I cannot really find the right forum to post this, but it seems appropriate to the site as a whole

Steve

Eactly, but the operators have told Ofcom that it is too expensive ;D and so it will not happen. Ye gods, that is depressing. :'(

Tanllan wrote on Dec 7^th, 2006 at 12:36am:

Eactly, but the operators have told Ofcom that it is too expensive ;D and so it will not happen.

... but yet cheap call providers like Call1899, Call18185, Call18866 offer the exact same thing and they only charge (on average) 4p per call (not per minute) to a geographical number.  In fact, Call18185 are cheaper for other calls like 0845/0870 as well.

It's plainly obvious that these companies make no (or very little profit) compared to the big companies like BT, TalkTalk, NTL/Telewest, etc but yet they (Call18185, etc) some how managed to implement a free call announcement which can be turned on or off from your online account - all this on the very little profit they make.

I believe the real truth is that these big companies that told Ofcom it was too expensive, didn't really want to because then their customers would be aware of the cost of these calls and that there not (generally) included in any inclusive price plans.

Instead Ofcom proposed to force these companies to be more upfront and publish the cost of calls to these numbers on the same page as their geographical call costs which before this new regulation they didn't.

However, as it turns out only one or two telephone providers have complied with Ofcoms request so Ofcom was forced to open an investigation into this (more info here).

bbb_uk wrote on Dec 9^th, 2006 at 11:45am:

I believe the real truth is that these big companies that told Ofcom it was too expensive, didn't really want to because then their customers would be aware of the cost of these calls and that there not (generally) included in any inclusive price plans.

Quite right. In my own meetings with Ofcom I have reiterated this, but found that banging my head against a wall is more profitable and less unpleasant. >:(

bbb_uk wrote on Dec 9^th, 2006 at 11:45am:

I believe the real truth is that these big companies that told Ofcom it was too expensive, didn't really want to because then their customers would be aware of the cost of these calls and that there not (generally) included in any inclusive price plans.

Obviously it is not too expensive to provide network-based answering services. These answer a call and allow for recording of messages. How much did it cost to implement calling line identification and other services like Ringback when a number is engaged. Of course, Ringback when busy, returning a call by pressing 3 with 1471 and 'free' voicemail services are chargeable once per use rather than a fixed amount per month.

Considering the minimum charge for a geographical call (on a chargeable package) from a BT landline has been put up from 5p to 6p within 6 months, that extra penny should provide some revenue to improve services and allow for call pricing announcements. Similarly, a call to most 084, 087 and 09 numbers now costs more 3p per call. Does this count for nothing?

In the days of clockwork exchanges, then it would have been way beyond scope of technology. But with today's modern technology which allows for per second billing, despite the fact that two main telcos have opted to go back into the stone-age with per minute billing, exactly how expensive would it be to implement this?

And with the introduction of BT's "21st Century Network", exactly how much work and expense will this require?

Perhaps the telcos will hold out and then Ofcom will cave in with a compromise. The pricing announcements may be allowed to be charged for as an 'optional extra' by either a fixed monthly payment reguardless of the amount of times it's used or on per use basis. This latter method could be a prefix dialled before the number, or apply to all calls.

Either way, it will be a way of telcos screwing more money out of citizen consumers and will allow Ofcom to proclaim that we now have some wonderful newfound choice and the freedom to be informed of how much a call actually costs when the call is made.