Quote:
Isn't it 10p per call, not per minute?

Now if its this price from a mobile then I believe that is good value for most people (except those with contracts).  Most mobile networks (for a geographical anyhow) charge 25p for the first 3mins that day (drops down after that) so it would be cheaper ringing the 101 instead of a geographical alternative (again except for those on contracts within inclusive minutes).

We will see whether I am right or not when it is finally implemented.

Knowing Ofcom well now and the devious way in which they deceive, and attempt to manipulate everything to eventually implement what they have already decided and agreed, despite any realities,  and knowing well the already existing abuses, I believe you will find that what they eventually intend is a per minute rate with call queuing, so as to pay for or at least subsidise the cost of operating police enquiry call centres, so that the cost will no longer come from the existing police budgets, if there are enough people dumb enough to call these numbers instead of using 999!

Having hunted around the Home Office and Pito websites it is clear that the whole consultation is being run by Ofcom on behalf of the Police and Pito and that neither have launched parallel consultations.

You should therefore give your views to Ofcom who will pass them on to the Home Office and Pito as appropriate.  Also Pito and the Home Office are bound to read what is in our responses.

If you need clarification on how the consultation on this issue is being handled by the Home Office and Pito why not call Elizaebeth Greenberg at Ofcom to check the position.  Her phone number is 020 7783 4109.

Or you can email her or formally respond to the consultation by sending an email to elizabeth.greenberg@ofcom.org.uk

The full consultation document is available here:-

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/snen/snen.pdf

I see it says in the document that the Home Office has already consulted and found support for the number but we can still attack it in the Ofcom consultation by pointing out such a number and its charging structure contravenes that National Telephone Number Plan (please tell us where I can get a copy Tanllan), that the 101 number will not be common across Europe, that the 101 number cannot be accessed from overseas, that call costs should not be different from geographic phone numbers and that by the time the Police introduce it 50% of phone call traffic may be voip to voip - computer to computer.

So what is the Police's single Voip address for emergency and non emergency calls and if they haven't planned one then why not?  This would be a lot more relevant than bringing in a single non emergency PSTN number only 50 years too late.

bbb,

I don't think you would make a very good terrorist or fighter of a guerilla war.   You like to play too obediently by the rules.  You have to remember that people like Ofcom and Pito only pay lipservice to public consultation and that in terms of getting our views taken into account this is war, although obviously only by peaceful non violent means involving the use of written correspondence to Ofcom, the media, MPs and so on.  We don't have to play by their rules which are deliberately designed to prevent there being any proper input into the process.  The whole nature of current Ofcom consultations with their ridiculously lengthy industry focused documents, horrid cover sheets and failure to provide a simple web comment form are deliberately designed to scare off Jo Bloggs from responding.

The fact that Ofcom has to consult on the number used gives a lot of ammunition for attack them on this issue because these 3 digit numbers cannot be called from overseas, cannot be called through indirect access codes or using dial through numbers (084/7 etc).  Those are all legitimate things to complain about.  It is almost as though this 101 number has been created assuming we are back in GPO monopoly days and that calls can only be made on the PSTN with one carrier.  Spain has had these 3 digit non emergency numbers for Police etc for years.  It is not exactly a revolutionary concept at the cutting edge of technological development.

This then leads on to the issue of no price competition to keep the costs of the calls down and what about those using voip access to the PSTN and what about support for PSTN consultation.

Whatever you put in your response it will be published verbatim on the Ofcom website and so will add to the debate and potentially be read by journalists.  I don't really give a stuff what narrow area the Ofcom consultation is offically about as the Home Office and Pity only seem to have previously consulted Policmen and telecoms carriers about the issues.  There is nothing found by a Search on the Pito or Home Office website for 101 that relates to a previous consultation on the issue.

In my view we must fight fire with fire.  Thinking we can only comment on the use of 101 compared to say 199 is to play into the hands of the Police, Pito and Ofcom.

Quote:

Tanllan,

I don't find this a very illuminating document.

Can you clarify in what manner you believe 101 charged at 10p per call contravenes the NTNP?

You will see from the below email received from Matt Peacock, Communications Director at Ofcom, today that Matt Peacock is either personally watching or has tasked staff members with watching what is being posted on this site.

You will see that he is fully aware of the discussion that I recently started regarding the new Ofcom consultation on the proposed new 101 national non-emergency number.  Perhaps members of staff in the Ofcom Communications Department even produce a journal each day of what is being discussed on these boards.

In many ways we should be flattered as at least it makes clear they take our views seriously as a threat to their own plans to spin public opinion in a direction that will best suit the business interests of the existing uk telecoms and broadcasting operators.

I suppose if we ourselves became as paranoid as Ofcom we might even begin to imagine that Ofcom had made arrangement to have our email and phone conversations tapped.  But there couldn't be any way for Ofcom to get such powers now could there................

You have been warned

-----Original Message-----
From: Matt Peacock [mailto:Matt.Peacock@ofcom.org.uk]
Sent: 31 October 2005 12:02
Subject: RE: Interesting Websites re Ofcom & Stephen Carter
   
You and I have exchanged many emails on these themes before, so I've nothing to add to our previous correspondence.
 
You may remember that I mentioned the Home Office Non-Emergency Number project to you a few months ago. You are mistaken on our role here - as some people have pointed out on the www.saynoto0870.com bulletin boards. However, it is worth responding to our consultation, as those views will help inform the Home Office's decision.
 
Regards

Matt

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4401870.stm

<<
Police forces in England and Wales must make a "quantum leap" to improve the way they deal with calls from the public, an official report has said.

People might have to wait days for an officer to respond to a call, said Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. It said a comparison between the way police and the commercial sector handle contact with the public was "damning".

The Home Office said some steps to ease the pressure had been taken but there was "significant work to be done".

It stressed that pressure on the police should ease when the government introduces a national non emergency number which people can ring instead of 999 to report less urgent concerns, such as noisy neighbours.

Police in the UK receive around 67 million calls for assistance each year.

The HMIC inspected 14 forces in England and Wales, as well as two in Scotland which is outside its jurisdiction.

A third of forces had no call-handling strategy in place, the study found.

It also emerged that there was also a lack of overall strategy concerning the best way to set up call-handling centres.

[...]

But, referring to the introduction of a new telephone number to relieve pressure, she added: "The government has already begun work to improve the service that the public receive from the police."

[...]
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