Quote:Personally, I think the reason the public don't seem to care is because mobile phone termination charges are a bigger issue. Yes, calls to 0870 numbers are a rip-off - but calls to mobile phones are even more of a rip-off.
And with the introduction of 05 numbers for VoIP, it begs the question what is the point of competition focusing on the price of geographical calls? We don't like being ripped off with 084/087 number translation services, but it seems that VoIP will have the same problems if Ofcom doesn't get its finger out with regards number pricing in general.
Quote:To compare with the USA and Canada, mobile phone users usually have to pay to receive calls, or have incoming calls counted out of their inclusive minutes in the same way as outgoing calls. As a result, calls to mobiles are the same price as calls to fixed line numbers - in fact, mobile phones are issued with local phone numbers, and you can't tell the difference between fixed and mobiles from the number.
At present, the mobile networks provide packages which charge 'line rental'. This is a misuse of the term as it is simply a payment for the inclusive minutes and a handset. If one doesn't want a handset every year (or 18 months), then it's a complete waste of money going on a contract. Not only that, but outside inclusive minutes, calls aren't that much different to pay as you go.
I do not see why we cannot pay a fixed amount per month, as is the case for a landline. This would allow the mobile networks to reduce their termination charges and reduce the rates they charge for calls originating from mobiles.
Instead, we have to pay them
per minute at extortionate rates. That is, the same pence per minute if we make/receive one 1 minute call every month compared to hours and hours of calls per month.