http://www.virginmedia.com/myvirginmedia/callingcosts.php

Quote:

Calls to VOIP Calling VOIP numbers will cost 9p per minute. Examples of VOIP calls include some catalogue companies and some credit card companies. Usually they begin with 0844 but please note that not all 0844 numbers are VOIP numbers.

My understanding is that 055 and 056 numbers are exclusively VOIP but how on earth can anyone (even the carrier) know whether an 0844 number is VOIP or not?

For example, I have a VOIP line which has a geographic number (with the same STD code as my home number).  However, I also divert my 0844 number to my VOIP number instead of to my standard PSTN number when it suits me to do so - but how would Virgin Media know when I've done so or, for that matter, how would they know my (geographic) VOIP number - for which, on the face of it, they should charge for a call to a standard geographic number - is such?

Virgin Media say they charge 9.79p connection plus 7.82p/minute (reverts to 8p/minute from 1-1-2010) to call my 0844 number so the difference is only 1p anyway - but the questions remain (particularly in relation to my 'geographic VOIP' number).

Heinz wrote on Nov 6^th, 2009 at 4:25pm:

how on earth can anyone (even the carrier) know whether an 0844 number is VOIP or not?

They can't. Only the terminating telco can tell that!  The only thing the customers telco can say about a number that is dialled is that it belongs to a particular number range, and then they pass the call onwards...   I've got 01, 02, 03, 056, 070 and 0870 numbers any of which could be delivered via VoIP, and most of which could be delivered via landline PSTN calls.   You'll be charged as per the number range you dialled.   (The [positive] exception is some VoIP suppliers spot other numbers in their own ranges, or sometimes other VoIP numbers, and don't charge for calls to them.)

Why any telco charges anything for a call to a number they know is VoIP I don't know - for the most part, once you send a call out onto the internet, there's no termination charges or anything. Just minimal bandwidth costs.

Virgin are so expensive words cant describe it!

My work is in the middle of moving over to VoIP. We are still using geographical DDI's.

If my memory is correct our soon-to-be new VoIP geographical DDI belongs to VirginMedia according to Magenta Online CodeLookUp

So if this is true then I'm assuming anyone unfortunate enough to have a VM landline will actually pay more to ring us!!

Or maybe the new price increase on calls to VoIP numbers is specifically for NGN VoIP numbers???!!!??

I note however that according to
http://allyours.virginmedia.com/pdf/uk-nongeographic-calls.pdf
they are charging some 055 numbers at PG6 rates, the same as some 0844/0843 numbers .. Abbey's 055114 get PG21.
(056 numbers get PG21 rate to themselves.)
http://allyours.virginmedia.com/pdf/003342_Residential_Cable%20October%20V5.pdf which I presume is the current rates
shows PG6 are 7.82p/min and PG21 4.79/1.96/min.

so ... your guess is as good as mine as to which they are referring to.