Courtesy of a daily Google email about new 0870 news items I received a link to this report by a telecoms outfit called Direct Response who suggest that those running 0845 and 0870 numbers will lose all their incoming revenue share in October 2008.

This appears to be completely misinformed (especially on 0845 numbers) but I would be grateful if any of the rest of you here could confirm this.

See www.drltd.com/Ofcom-Non-Geographic-Number-legislation-changes-this-October.-Are-you-ready--438011281-dr33.aspx


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Ofcom Non Geographic Number legislation changes this October. Are you ready? 16/09/2008 11:25:00             What impact will changes to 0870, 0845, 0871, 0800, 0844, & 0300 numbers have on you? Ofcom are making dramatic changes to non geographic numbering services, the earliest of which will take place this October. The changes advocated by Ofcom will affect you either as an owner of numbers or as some one who dials them. I am an owner of 0800 / 0870 / 0845 / 0871 / 0844 / 0855 / 03 numbers: what will happen to me? I dial 0800 / 0870 / 0845 / 0871 numbers: what will happen to me? I would like to speak to my account manager so I can be best advised as what to do. I would like to get future news feeds on this topic to keep me in the loop. I am an owner of 0800 / 0870 / 0845 / 0844 / 0871 numbers: what will happen to me? Ofcom has made its judgement after its initial withdrawal of deadline to make dramatic changes to non geographic numbers. It’s crucial that you have the knowledge to make the right business decisions in accordance with the new rulings just announced. The main changes you will be faced with are that of 0871 regulation and 0870 revenue share. Both may impinge significantly on your business, yet even if you don’t already use any type of NGN it’s worth ensuring that you’re aware of your options for the future. Ofcom’s modifications are being made in order to address public concerns of call centre waiting times, deceptive marketing and ambiguous pricing. If you want to see what our opinion of Ofcom’s changes view Direct Response’s report on Ofcom. The proposed Ofcom changes fundamentally are: 0870 Numbers • You will lose your revenue share payments if you were getting them before. • You will start receiving a pence-per-min bill for incoming traffic. This is expected to be anywhere between 1.5 p – 2.5p per minute. For some companies this will mean you will be up to 5p per minute worse off than you are now. • Your numbers will remain the same What should I do as a business so that this does not have an adverse impact on me? Please speak to one of our advice specialists - phone 0800 011 4540. 0871 Numbers • Increased call cost (up to 10ppm). This allows for a larger ongoing revenue share than 0870 numbers. • 0871’s will be regulated by PhonePay Plus – it is quite possible that advertising rights will be restricted What should I do as a business so that this does not have an adverse impact on me? Please speak to one of our advice specialists - phone 0800 011 4540. 0845 Numbers • You will lose your revenue share payments if you were getting them before. • You will start receiving a pence-per-min bill for incoming traffic. This is expected to be anywhere between 1.5 p – 2.5p per minute. • Your numbers will remain the same What should I do as a business so that this does not have an adverse impact on me? Please speak to one of our advice specialists - phone 0800 011 4540. 0800 / 0808 / 0500 Free Phone Numbers • These are widely known to be free of charge to callers and the recipient pays for the calls. Ofcom are not expected to make any changes to these numbers 0844 / 03 Number Ranges • Ofcom have introduced new ranges to act as alternatives to national, lo-call and free phone numbering services. Whilst these ranges offer you more choice, each one also has specific strengths and weaknesses. What should I do as a business so that this does not have an adverse impact on me? Please speak to one of our advice specialists - phone 0800 011 4540. Impact on your Business The impact on your business will vary dramatically depending on how many calls you make and receive to NGNs, the reason for owning your non geographic numbers, where they are published, and how exposed your business will be. Please call one of our specialists who will look at your specific needs at no charge or obligation - phone 0800 011 4540. Embed a call to action in the page – can we add their details in automatically? Please see a brief overview of options and their pros and cons. What will really happen? In short it is still up in the air. We predict that one of 3 things will happen: 1. Ofcom have created a massive problem both operational and financially for large and small businesses alike, not to mention the Telco industry. It has delayed the change and may back track and bury it in red tape and make no decision 2. Ofcom may take a less harsh view so that 0870s will be cheaper but not cost the telecom or end business anything, but revenues will be lost 3. The changes will go ahead as planned in the same way that Ofcom never followed through the threat to change 6 digit 0800 numbers into 7 digit numbers due to business and consumer outcry.

Continued Below/......................

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4. Move to 030 numbers – consumer market awareness is very low and not sure what they are, there also appears to be minimal benefits to businesses 5. 0871. Caller pays 10ppm. Downside is that this is going to be governed by ICSTIS, which means full PRS applications need to be made, including Directors guarantees, strict regulation and constraints on advertising promotions 6. 0844. This is the most popular, mainly because no changes are expected for at least another 6-10 years, no call charges are incurred to the business, and there are 4 different charge rates that the consumer will have to pay. 2, 3p, 4p, 5p. Many businesses have taken the view that the callers will not know the difference between the charge bands and always think they will be charged 5p regardless of what they are actually being charged. As a result a lot of businesses have plumbed for the 5ppm 0844 numbers. Our advice would be to purchase new 0844 numbers with the same numbers after the 0844 prefix. This way the transition will be slightly easier to remember for your staff and customers alike. 7. As an interim measure whilst consumers still have 0870 numbers in the market place put a redirect with a message providing the new number whilst the call is on hold or being re-directed to the call centre. Or just leave a message requesting callers to call back on a different number.

I agree they are completely misinformed or just damn right telling porkies.

We all know that OfconN's telecom buddies are made aware of all changes/plans by OfcoN generally well before us normal people get to hear about it so maybe OfcoN have made up their mind with regards to 0870 numbers and this will be announced in October?

However, we all know that Ofcom hasn't made any plans with regards (and is unlikely to IMHO) concerning 0845 and 0844.

Last I heard, 0871 was going to be under ICSTIS jurisdiction albeit very relaxed and that this was going be around same time as OfcoN finally decide how further to delay/scrap their plans for 0870.

OfcoN are a complete and total waste of time and if it was possible to easily report them I would.

Right rant over  ;)

Surely ICSTIS does not exist any longer?

dorf wrote on Sep 18^th, 2008 at 9:42pm:

Surely ICSTIS does not exist any longer?

Surely it does still exist but has merely changed its name to the even more meaningless PhonePayPlus.

Same directors, same offices but now expanded to also covering 0871 numbers.  Apart from that no difference from before except that now it is even easier than before to scam the public when they dial a Premium Rate phone number.  Although I think PhonePayPlus wants to call 0871 something else instead. >:( >:( >:(

So Oftel still exists then? If a designation is changed or a body is dissolved and reconstituted with a different set of faculties, and a new designation, then the previous body or entity no longer exists! There are increasingly many examples of this, particularly in anything to do with government, which changes things to conceal, deceive, parry and to avoid any threatening accountability.

dorf wrote on Sep 24^th, 2008 at 9:15pm:

So Oftel still exists then?

It isn't quite the same. Oftel was merged with several other bodies to become Ofcom. ICSTIS simply changed its name to PhonePayPlus. It's still the same organisation.

As for the original item, it looks to me as if it should have been released a year earlier. The info about revenue share disappearing is similar to news I received from VoIP companies last year (and about which I more recently received updates to say it wasn't happening after all). That would also explain the suggestion that 03 has just been launched, and that it's still ICSTIS. Have they published old news by mistake?

I cannot really believe that you are unaware that ICSTIS has ceased to exist! The change in fact does have similarities to that with Oftel, since the scope of responsibilities of PhonePayPlus and their remit has been changed from that granted to ICSTIS, in addition to the change of name or designation.

In any case it is just common logic that if any entity is called X at one moment and then the designation of the same entity is changed to Y the next moment, X no longer exists as a designated entity.

It really, I would suggest, is yet another example of the inability of these overpaid parasites to get anything right any longer, even when it is at their own behest that such a change to the designation of an associated entity has been made!

It just depends how you look at it. Either ICSTIS has been renamed PhonePayPlus, or PhonePayPlus has replaced ICSTIS. Either way, the article above was wrong to refer to ICSTIS as that's not what it's called any more!

ICSTIS was given some extra responsibility, i.e.for 0871 numbers. However, I don't think that was related to the name change. On the other hand, Ofcom was a totally new organisation, with responsibility for areas outside telecoms, for example media. It wasn't just a renamed Oftel with a few extra functions.