snorton wrote on Aug 20
th, 2010 at 7:35pm:
I've come across an advantage for 0845 numbers. My office phone is barred for long distance calls but allows local calls. It also allows 0845 calls.
If the idea is to prevent more expensive calls, then I take it as read that calls to mobile telephone numbers are also not allowed.
In order that this bar has the intended effect (to stop more expensive calls), then the calls which are prevented must indeed be more expensive than the ones which are allowed.
In general terms, 0845 calls are more expensive, although there are some exceptions. If your employer is on one of these perverse tariffs, then 0845 numbers can be used as an alternative to geographic calls (we know this to be the case most notably with some BT residential tariffs).
Or perhaps the bar was put in place and has not been considered with respect to the current tariff on your office's telephones.