dorf
Supreme Member
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I hate Qs on Premium NGNs
Posts: 575
UK
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Hi Jimbo 1943,
I will attempt to explain this in non-technical language, and before anyone jumps on me for inaccuracy of detail I am attempting to express the ideas in a simple fashion here to make it easier for anyone non-technical to understand.
"Geographic" number is a ridiculous designation now used for normal telephone numbers of normal subscribers, that was coined I believe originally by Oftel or by BT with the agreement of Oftel. Originally ALL telephone numbers were "geographic". What is so ridiculous about this name is that of course all telephone calls must end up with a geographic termination somewhere on this planet! They chose this nomenclature quite carefully though as part of the intended structure of deception, because as we discovered later their intent right from the start was to use a new designation of number as disguised Premium numbers so that although queuing had been prohibited on Premium numbers within the New National Numbering Plan BT could then commence the scam of having disguised Premium numbers with queuing! They thus designated this new type of number as "non-geographic" number (NGN), and this was to have the smoke screen of Number Translation Service (NTS) to conceal the real reason behind its adoption. The stated purpose of this new type of number was to allow the final call termination to be flexible in geographic location, rather as had been accomplished prior to that with devices (external to the exchanges) such as Diverters.
[Number Translation just means that the number actually called is translated (diverted) into any one of a list of numbers for a particular subscriber. NTS allowed "computers" within telephone exchanges to cycle the final call termination according to certain defined constraints and current traffic loading.] A call which was thencefrom defined as NGN could end up being terminated at any one of a number of possible geographic locations for a particular subscriber (hence the choice of the ridiculous term NGN).
So now you have the two types of call possibility within the UK - GN or NGN. A GN call goes to a normal telephone number (such as 01703...) as you dial it and it is carried at the lowest rate of charge (there generally now being no difference in cost for any call terminating at any normal subscriber's line in the UK regardless of distance, i.e. whether Local or National in the old terminology). An NGN call is much more expensive for the caller, terminates at any one of a number of locations through NTS, and is usually being used as a disguised Premium number with queuing allowed. There are of course a series of different NGNs with different charge rates, like 0870, 0844, 0845, 0871, 070 PNS and 09.
Hope that explains the essence of it?
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