Another consultation:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/numresource/summary/

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Additional numbering resources for NTS
1.10 Some of the current numbering resources for the provision of NTS are nearing exhaustion. Therefore, Ofcom is proposing to expand the resource set aside for these services by making available additional 3-digit sub-ranges within the 087 and 084 ranges. The proposal is to designate 0872 and 0873 to supplement the 0871 sub-range for and 0843 to supplement the 0844 sub-range.

1.11 In the Numbering Policy Review, Ofcom set out a longer-term aim to manage growth on the existing 08 range in a manner that will, over a period of time, simplify the meaning provided to consumers by these numbers. The basic proposition is that meaning should primarily be provided by the first two digits of the dialled number (080/084/087) with the added simplification that the higher the number, the higher the price. The proposed allocations are consistent with this longer-term aim.
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IIRC, Ofcom's previous proposal was that the fourth digit of 084/087 numbers should identify the price range.  As 0871 numbers are 10p/minute, does that mean that 0872 numbers will be 20p/minute and 0873 numbers will be 30p/minute?

So we should respond to this consultation in about two paragraphs by stating that we believe the correct place for all such additional number allocations is on the 09 premium rate code so that the public will know they are making a premium rate revenue sharing call.

NGMsGhost wrote on Mar 7^th, 2007 at 6:39pm:

So we should respond to this consultation in about two paragraphs by stating that we believe the correct place for all such additional number allocations is on the 09 premium rate code so that the public will know they are making a premium rate revenue sharing call.

I do totally agree however Ofcom would never go for that.

I suggest as maybe a compromise that Ofcom makes it known that numbers beginning 084x, 087x are premium rate and that in most cases the company/organisation you have rung is possibly making money from you.  This compromise is not unreasonable if you ask me.  No need for companies/organisations to do anything so therefore no cost to them.  It's the truth and more importingly and something I firmly believe in, is that consumers should be made aware of the cost of calling these numbers beforehand and more importingly that the company/organisation being called could be making money.

That way, if a consumer chooses not to do business with a company because it's using one of these numbers then that's fine as it's a choice the consumer has made.

It should also be mentioned that action by Ofcom to stop CPs trying to sell these new number ranges (and existing ones) by misleading their customers and ultimately us end consumers by stating these new and existing numbers are either local/national rate.

From the citizen-consumer's point of view, Ofcom never learns!  ::) ::)

Not content with allowing these numbers to carry on for so long and clinging to the local/national rate non-sense which it knows is not realistic and will not last, it moves the goalposts completely on 0870 and then proposes (creates) more of the same!

idb wrote on Mar 6^th, 2007 at 12:10pm:

Another consultation: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/numresource/summary/ << Additional numbering resources for NTS 1.10 Some of the current numbering resources for the provision of NTS are nearing exhaustion. Therefore, Ofcom is proposing to expand the resource set aside for these services by making available additional 3-digit sub-ranges within the 087 and 084 ranges. The proposal is to designate 0872 and 0873 to supplement the 0871 sub-range for and 0843 to supplement the 0844 sub-range. 1.11 In the Numbering Policy Review, Ofcom set out a longer-term aim to manage growth on the existing 08 range in a manner that will, over a period of time, simplify the meaning provided to consumers by these numbers. The basic proposition is that meaning should primarily be provided by the first two digits of the dialled number (080/084/087) with the added simplification that the higher the number, the higher the price. The proposed allocations are consistent with this longer-term aim. >>

If that's what they want, then the most simple way to do it is 08x, where x is the rate per minute.

Instead of that, are they suggesting that a new say 0843 number will be transparent on price, when there is unlikely to be any improvement on the totally fragmented 0.5 to 5 pence 0844 range?