bbb_uk wrote on Dec 9
th, 2006 at 11:45am:
I believe the real truth is that these big companies that told Ofcom it was too expensive, didn't really want to because then their customers would be aware of the cost of these calls and that there not (generally) included in any inclusive price plans.
Obviously it is not too expensive to provide network-based answering services. These answer a call and allow for recording of messages. How much did it cost to implement calling line identification and other services like Ringback when a number is engaged. Of course, Ringback when busy, returning a call by pressing 3 with 1471 and 'free' voicemail services are chargeable once per use rather than a fixed amount per month.
Considering the minimum charge for a geographical call (on a chargeable package) from a BT landline has been put up from 5p to 6p within 6 months, that extra penny should provide some revenue to improve services and allow for call pricing announcements. Similarly, a call to most 084, 087 and 09 numbers now costs more 3p per call. Does this count for nothing?
In the days of clockwork exchanges, then it would have been way beyond scope of technology. But with today's modern technology which allows for per second billing, despite the fact that two main telcos have opted to go back into the stone-age with per minute billing, exactly how expensive would it be to implement this?
And with the introduction of BT's "21st Century Network", exactly how much work and expense will this require?
Perhaps the telcos will hold out and then Ofcom will cave in with a compromise. The pricing announcements may be allowed to be charged for as an 'optional extra' by either a fixed monthly payment reguardless of the amount of times it's used or on per use basis. This latter method could be a prefix dialled before the number, or apply to all calls.
Either way, it will be a way of telcos screwing more money out of citizen consumers and will allow Ofcom to proclaim that we now have some wonderful newfound choice and the freedom to be informed of how much a call actually costs when the call is made.