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It will take another year and a half to *supposedly* do something about 0870 but the deregulation of BT's phone cost controls is, patentially, set for less than six months from now!

I am sure I am not alone in saying that I was utterly astonished by Ofcom's statement on NTS published this morning. Whilst I have not yet had time to read the full statement, what I have seen so far indicates a total abdication of responsibility by Ofcom in providing protection to the long-suffering UK consumer and to help those of us that live overseas in being able to communicate with UK organizations. These proposals show a technically inept and morally bankrupt organization responsible for telecommunication regulation within the United Kingdom which repeatedly acts only in the service providers' interests. The most disturbing aspect is the requirement for ICSTIS to regulate 0871 numbers. This PRS regulator cannot even accommodate consumer complaints against premium SMS fraud, let alone increasing its workload for another range of scam numbers. The outcome is that 0870 is here to stay, perhaps not with the 0870 prefix, but Ofcom, by allowing eighteen months to 'migrate' (euphemism for change to a different scam range) will ensure that the scammers simply shift to whatever range will maximize their revenue. A total disgrace but largely expected. I cannot envisage ever responding to an Ofcom consultation again as my comments are simply ignored. The only solution now is for Ofcom and its useless sidekick ICSTIS to be disbanded and replaced with true independent regulators. This will never happen, so the campaign to rid the UK of this evil and corrupt industry has now, sadly, ended.

idb wrote on Apr 19^th, 2006 at 8:54pm:


idb,

Can I encourage you and others here who have responded to previous Ofcom consultations to make the effort to respond to just one more Ofcom consultation that closes today as this is Ofcom's consultation about the approach it takes to dealing with the best interests of Consumers.  I have been informed by someone in the know that if this consultation goes the way Ofcom hopes (i.e. almost no one responds and those who do are in favour) then Ofcom will just push ahead with more and more de-regulation and non intervention in the most vicious telecoms scams and cartels as being in the interests of uk citizen consumers.

Please reply telling Ofcom you have replied to several of its consultations and been completely ignored and that Ofcom by de-regulating is not encouraging more competition and a better deal for consumers but is in fact just making like easier for its old business chums in the telcos who devise these scams.

Point to the highest standing charge for any utility in the uk and up 50% since Ofcom was born and to the fact that unlike most other products consumers buy they generally do not know what they are paying for telecoms services and so do not make informed choices driven by normal market competitive forces.

I know you are tired of the evil, ruthless, abusive and cynical Ofcom consultation processes but if there is a consultation that lets you tell Ofcom why it is a totally morally bankrupt organisation full of extremely able but also entirely cynical and world weary people such as its Communications Director, who has sold out his once high ideals as a serious foreign news correspondent in favour of a high salary + large pension + nice office - then this is the one to do it with.  Mind you don't vent your spleen too much on Matt Peacock who I know is a decent guy with young children to support and who I only take to task because I feel that he is capable of and should be doing something better for the world and mankind.  Instead save your venom for the true villains like Stephen Carter, Ed Richards, Kip Meek and Sean Williams who have sold out every scintilla of principle they might have for the sake of a huge salary and a fast track to some kighthood or peerage from New Labour in a few years time if they are still in power.

I am sorry to have to personalise it this much but if Ofcom's directors aren't prepared to resign over introducing a regime that is this anti consumer and this pro big buisness scamming then they clearly cannot and are not men of principle and integrity.

By the way that last consultation it is essential to respond to is www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/ocp/

Ofcom just can't help themselves can they be with being a totally hijacked regulator that while claiming to be there for citizen consumers is in fact there to let ruthless commercial interests jack up prices and exploit the consumer in every possible way imaginable.

Here is Ofcom's latest little contribution in this regard this time on the Freeview broadcasting side of affairs.  Apparently Ofcom sees no problem at all in channels like UK History, Sky Sports News, FTN etc all converting to Pay Tv channels just as Freeview was reaching a level of customer use (around 6 million homes) where a subscription channel on the platform like Eurosport or UK Style or UK Gold might have been on the verge of changing over to FTA.  We might even have seen some of the ghastly shopping channels knocked out by popular basic subscription channels like Bravo and Living Tv deciding to appear on Freeview funded purely by advertising.  But not now when there is a way to start charging £10 per month for the privilege.................

Good old Ofcom we really can count on them to protect the interest of the Citizen Consumer from commercial exploitation now can't we?

---Ofcom Announcement on More Pay Tv Channels on Freeview Follows----

Pay TV channels on multiplexes B, C and D
Removal of the ‘free to air only’ requirement
Summary
Background: Pay TV channels on multiplexes B, C and D

1.1 Traditionally, the majority of television viewers in the UK have watched analogue television channels delivered over the terrestrial transmission network. By the end of 2005, around 17.6 million homes could receive digital TV (on satellite, cable and digital terrestrial) in the UK – just under 70 per cent of all TV households(-1-). In addition by the end of 2005 more than 10.5 million Freeview boxes and integrated digital TVs, for digital terrestrial television, had been sold.

1.2 Digital terrestrial television is transmitted on television multiplexes. Multiplexes are licensed by Ofcom under the Broadcasting Act 1996 or, in the case of multiplex 1, granted by the Government. Three of the six multiplex licences (multiplexes B, C and D) contain a requirement that all the services they carry “shall be provided on a free to air basis save with the prior consent of Ofcom”. This requirement was inserted to reflect commitments made by the applicants for these licences when the licences were awarded in 2002.

1.3 Ofcom believes that there are good arguments to support a proposal to remove the ‘free to air only’ (FTA) requirement on multiplexes B, C and D on the basis that the requirement is no longer necessary and there are no compelling reasons to retain it. Ofcom has consulted on whether the requirement should be removed. The consultation was published 27 October 2005 and closed 12 January 2006. We received 21 responses from individuals and 12 from organisations. The responses were varied and ranged from strongly supporting the proposal to strongly opposing it.

Decision
1.4 Ofcom has concluded that the restriction on the services that can be carried on multiplexes B, C and D is no longer necessary, and can be removed without adverse effect on any other relevant Ofcom duties, including our duty to further the interests of citizens and consumers, promote competition, ensure efficient use of the radio spectrum and ensuring the availability of a wide range of TV and radio services from a sufficient plurality of providers. Ofcom is minded to remove the requirement in response to a request from each licensee, without further public consultation.

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Pardon my simplistic perception, but wouldn't any sane person associate something called 'Freeview' as being free? 

I reiterate my comments about free not being free in today's world. The word is over used resulting in a degree of cynicism when looking at any invitation to buy from the telecommunications industry.

From my (rather long distance) view, this has to be one of the most depressing documents ever put out by the useless tos**ers at Ofcom. It is plainly obvious that the only effect will be to ensure that by the time the 0870 number becomes a "geographical" call, there won't be any 0870 numbers associated with UK companies. They will all be 0871!

Even as we wait, you can be assured that the telco sales people are out there doing their best to sign the mugs over to 0871 numbers.  Those that aren't mugs - and there are plenty of them - witness the quote about '..companies making UK callers hold on to fund their call centres' - will be actively changing their numbers over, too.

Any victory and relief that is felt by the public at large, as they read that 0870 numbers will be charged at geographic rates will soon evaporate when they realise that - once again - they have been duped, scammed and basically shafted by the the telcos and their lapdogs at Ofcom.

 

Any news on this consultation?