Calls via 18185 at weekends to mobiles now cost 7p per minute.  The table is incorrect.
However, calls during weekdays remain at 6 p perminute.

Who maintains this?  There should be a link to post corrections!

As an aside, didn't the termination rate drop to 2.6p on 1st April.   Don't think any of the reductions have been passed on by anyone - why am I not surprised.

Calls to UK mobiles using the 18185 prefix are 6ppm weekdays and, if you call via one of the gateway numbers* intended for cable users, 6ppm at weekends too.

* Don't use these during the week though or you'll pay 10ppm.

BTW, the 1899/18185/18866 family appear to be the only one to have swallowed the VAT increase itself instead of passing it on to customers.

BB wrote on Apr 14^th, 2011 at 4:23pm:

Calls via 18185 at weekends to mobiles now cost 7p per minute.  The table is incorrect. However, calls during weekdays remain at 6 p perminute. Who maintains this?  There should be a link to post corrections!

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. It has now been updated.

BB wrote on Apr 14^th, 2011 at 4:23pm:

As an aside, didn't the termination rate drop to 2.6p on 1st April.   Don't think any of the reductions have been passed on by anyone - why am I not surprised.

In answer to your question, yes they did:

http://www.terminatetherateblog.org/2011/03/it%E2%80%99s-official-ofcom-rules-in-favour-of-cheaper-calls-to-mobiles/

BB wrote on Apr 14^th, 2011 at 4:23pm:

As an aside, didn't the termination rate drop to 2.6p on 1st April.   Don't think any of the reductions have been passed on by anyone - why am I not surprised.

BT will begin passing on the reduction to its customers from 28th May: www.bt.com/mobileprices

No doubt those who piggyback on BT's network (Sky, TalkTalk, Post Office, etc.) will follow suit. It's worth remembering that the Post Office gives free calls to UK mobiles at weekends, anyway. (How on earth they can afford to do this, especially when all they offer is a basic line rental deal - i.e. no call packages - I've absolutely no idea!!!)

Trenod wrote on Apr 16^th, 2011 at 1:02am:

No doubt those who piggyback on BT's network (Sky, TalkTalk, Post Office, etc.) will follow suit. It's worth remembering that the Post Office gives free calls to UK mobiles at weekends, anyway. (How on earth they can afford to do this, especially when all they offer is a basic line rental deal - i.e. no call packages - I've absolutely no idea!!!)

Perhaps you have pretty much answered your own question. They give free calls to mobiles at weekends (when termination rates are at their lowest) and make up for it elsewhere.

Dave wrote on Apr 16^th, 2011 at 10:20am:

Perhaps you have pretty much answered your own question. They give free calls to mobiles at weekends (when termination rates are at their lowest) and make up for it elsewhere.

I didn't know that mobile termination rates are lower at the weekend. Shame on the main mobile service providers for not passing that onto their (and BT's) customers!!

The Post Office also offers free international calls at weekends. Explain that one?

Not sure what you mean by "[they] make up for it elsewhere"... Their non-inclusive (weekday daytime) call charges hardly break the bank... In fact, they're low compared to BT's: 5.36p to a landline (compared to BT's soon-to-be 7.6p), with a connection charge of 9.6p per call (soon 12.5p on BT). Their non-inclusive calls to most international countries are only 5.11p a minute - cheaper than their UK calls (go figure!), and cheaper than BT's standard international charges. Even their non-inclusive calls to UK mobiles are only a teeny bit more than BT's.

Admitedly, they charge a lot for the calling features - but honestly, how many residential customers need three-way calling etc? The only one most people can't live without these days is caller display, which sets you back a whopping £2.50 a month on Post Office. That's the only real downside to them, I guess. If you work weekdays nine to five, the standard working day, and can live without caller display, Post Office Homephone is a very good choice. Unfortunately, according to most online reviews, their customer service is the pits... but nearly all the reviews I've seen have been for their broadband service. There's a lot less to go wrong with a telephone service, so maybe they're all right if you just stick to that.

We should soon get an inclusive BT bundle including landline  to mobile calls.

"In a statement on Friday, BT said it "will be passing on the new rates to customers as soon as possible".

"Ofcom has made some worthwhile reductions in mobile termination rates, which will benefit customers in the near future," BT Retail consumer chief John Petter said in the statement. "Our focus is now on developing an all-inclusive package that will enable people to call mobiles from their landlines at no extra cost, with no fear of 'bill shock'. This will be incredibly good news for BT's customers."

BT did, however, note that "Ofcom has set rates at a level somewhat higher than those in its recommendation last April and the reduction glide path is more gradual than we had hoped for".


http://www.zdnet.co.uk/blogs/communication-breakdown-10000030/bt-to-make-landline-to-mobile-calls-cheaper-soon-10022132/

bigjohn wrote on Apr 17^th, 2011 at 2:50am:

We should soon get an inclusive BT bundle including landline  to mobile calls.

TalkTalk already do these:
http://sales.talktalk.co.uk/product/boost/11719/100-mobile-minutes-boost
http://sales.talktalk.co.uk/product/boost/11746/200-mobile-minutes-boost

I'm sure BT's will be very similar - i.e. optional 'bolt-ons' for a fixed extra fee per month. I can't see them including any inclusive 'mobile minutes' in their existing calling packages - not even half an hour a month to cover those little 'emergency' calls that we sometimes need to make from landlines to mobiles.

Trenod wrote on Apr 21^st, 2011 at 5:52pm:

bigjohn wrote on Apr 17th, 2011 at 2:50am: We should soon get an inclusive BT bundle including landline  to mobile calls. I'm sure BT's will be very similar - i.e. optional 'bolt-ons' for a fixed extra fee per month. I can't see them including any inclusive 'mobile minutes' in their existing calling packages - not even half an hour a month to cover those little 'emergency' calls that we sometimes need to make from landlines to mobiles.

I can see them developing an all-inclusive call  package not a bolt on   that will enable people to call 01/02/03 0845/0870 and UK mobiles from their landlines.  ;)

I would think that we are a while off getting unlimited mobile inclusive bundles because mobile termination charges are still quite a bit above that of landline termination charges.

The offerings from Talk Talk equate to 3 pence per minute and 2.5 pence per minute, respectively (assuming all minutes are used). As the termination rate is now 2.6 pence per minute during the daytime (I assume exc VAT), then Talk Talk is offering these pretty much at cost, to encourage customers to ring mobiles from their landlines.

If there were to be unlimited (as opposed to finite) tariffs, then this would leave the providers much more at risk of taking a big hit because people will start to call mobiles from their landlines when they would otherwise not have done so. Perhaps so as to conserve inclusive minutes on their own mobile package.

We must be mindful that the more inclusive calls are made under the terms of unlimited offerings, the more the prices for those offerings will rise. I'm sure that this is something that providers must monitor; the number call minutes made on unlimited (non-finite) inclusive tariffs. They probably stand to small fluctuations, but may have to act when volumes increase greatly.

bigjohn wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2011 at 3:13am:

I can see them developing an all-inclusive call  package not a bolt on   that will enable people to call 01/02/03 0845/0870 and UK mobiles from their landlines.  ;)

This is possible as a precursor to the planned reduction of mobile termination rates.

This is what BT did when it included 0870 calls in packages for about six months prior to the drop in termination rates for them. It took a hit, knowing that it would entice new customers.

Had an e-mail from http://www.flextel.com/costs/free-calls.html?code=0844 this week.

Saying that you can now redirect there 0844 numbers  to a mobile number for free. Depending on your landline provider  the 0844 call could be  5p per minute ,plus a connection charge , and you can also  now divert there geographical 01/02/03 numbers to a mobile for 4p a minute.

So the mobile termination cost reductions are trickling through.