I appreciate that members will be aware that 0870 numbers will be charged as a geographical in due course,but now 0871 apparently comes into the frame.

"Ofcom is pressuring the networks to include 0870 and 0871 numbers in bundles with inclusive voice minutes.

Many businesses and organisations use 0870 and 0871, which are non-geographic telephone numbers, so as not to give away their business location.

The numbers used to be covered by mobile deals offering free calls to landlines, but at the start of the year the networks started charging customers to call these numbers.

Ofcom has now set out proposals saying that the numbers should be treated the same as all landline calls.

An Ofcom spokeswoman said: ‘Ofcom’s proposals seek to ensure that the cost of calling 0870 and 0871 numbers is brought into line with geographic numbers.
‘They are also designed to strengthen consumer protection and provide clarity so that people are aware of the costs of calling these numbers."


Source : http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/Ofcom_pressures_networks_on_0870_and_0871_numbers.html


0871 calls have  never been included in inclusive mobile minutes yet,despite what this article suggests.

oldharryrocks wrote on Jun 12^th, 2008 at 1:06am:

"Ofcom is pressuring the networks to include 0870 and 0871 numbers in bundles with inclusive voice minutes."

I can only think that someone has got a bit confused by including an erroneous reference to 0871.

This would only apply once any possible changes to remove revenue sharing from 0870 go through. As we see elsewhere, this is very unlikely to happen for some time (if ever!).

The idea of bundle prices including the costs of calling "premium rate services" is rather exciting. This would mean (in theory) that every published geographic telephone number would have to include a "premium rate service" price declaration! (no - this is too silly, even for Ofcom).

I thought it was to good to be true. :)

oldharryrocks wrote on Jun 12^th, 2008 at 9:34am:

I thought it was too good to be true.

I understand that the accuracy of the report is being checked by the publisher. They may wish to post a comment here.

That article is a spectacular example of inaccurate journalism in a publication one would have hoped might really understand this subject area.

It also says:-


Quote:

The numbers used to be covered by mobile deals offering free calls to landlines, but at the start of the year the networks started charging customers to call these numbers.

This is when it is referring to the status of 0870 rather than 0871 numbers in mobile phone call bundles.

We all know that all the 0870 numbers will become 0844 numbers (in order to retain the revenue share) anyway so none of these proposal about 0870 by Ofcom will be of any benefit to the consumer.