http://www.icstis.org.uk/pdfs_news/PhonepayPlus_Advisory_Notice.pdf

Who on earth came up with that name..??

Quote:

Probably the main reason for the change of name is to cover the fact that they now will have to add to their previous duties and responsibilities the task of supposedly overseeing the new vogue of Premium numbers with call queuing allowed. This will commence with only 0871, but you can bet that what is really behind it is that Ofcom have already decided what their next sly move with covert Premium numbers will be, so that call queuing and all the tricks for extortion can continue unabated, and that probably has one particular component - that the supposed responsibility for regulating them will be passed to what was ICSTIS and now will be Phonepayplus !!!

I think it is clear that you did not understand my point at all farci. That is probably my fault for not expressing it too well?

I disagree entirely with your suggestion by which you imply that the only reason that Ofcom is ineffective is that it has to handle so many conflicting interests. Ofcom is ineffective in regulating Telecoms, entirely because it wants and intends to be ineffective. If it regulated firmly and properly as it should, fulfilling its principal duty under the Acts, which is to protect the Citizen Consumer, then the Telecoms entities would be screaming and most displeased. The gravy train would be curtailed.

My point concerning the change of name of ICSTIS was that this whole scam with NGNs in reality is based on call queuing whilst generating unlimited revenue. What Ofcom is clearly intending is to neatly enable call queuing on Premium numbers to continue, by gradually moving all revenue-generating NGNs over to this newly named version of ICSTIS to control, so that Ofcom can effectively wash its hands of the problem, by agreeing at last that they are all Premium numbers in reality, although they denied for so long previously that they were Premium numbers. This side stepping gambit will allow them to "get rid of the problem" which they know they have at present, because they know only too well that according to the original NTNP (which was designed by the regulator - not the public) Premium numbers should have never been allowed in the 08 or 07 category, but should be in the 09 category with call queuing prohibited. However the telecoms entities (and the government) do not want call queuing prohibited because this is how the big money is made with this scam. So this is the dilemma which Ofcom have, they are in a very difficult position. They need to be seen to be acting supposedly to fulfill their primary duty under the Act, but do not want to upset their telecoms buddies, nor of course can they act against the government's demands. I believe therefore that they have decided that the easiest way out of their difficulty is to eventually gradually move all these problem NGNs over to be officially classified as Premium numbers under the control of PhonepayPlus, as they are doing initially with 0871, but in a new category of Premium numbers with call queuing permitted, as they have already announced 0871 will be.

This strategy is totally unacceptable to Citizen Consumers though of course, and in reality will put Ofcom in a position of being open to charges of mal-regulation, since it was the regulator themselves who originally decided to prohibit call queuing with Premium numbers. It is most certainly not in the interest of Citizen Consumers that call queuing should be permitted with Premium numbers. However, if all these problem numbers are reclassified Ofcom hope that it will not be their problem any more and that they can escape any responsibility. I believe the renaming of ICSTIS is probably because this has already been decided and this is the intial move to clear the way.

I hope I have explained my point clearly now?

dorf wrote on Sep 6^th, 2007 at 10:04pm:

I think I read somewhere that 0872 and 0873 are already planned!

PhonepayPlus? What I stupid name. It doesn't sound like any sort of regulator or official body at all. It sounds more like some sort of seedy competition line, or a company providing premium rate numbers.

ICSTIS hardly rolled off the tongue, but at least it had an air of authority about it!

Smasher wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2007 at 10:20pm:
It is, however, consistent - a sleazy industry overseen by a sleazy, corrupt and incompetent 'regulator' now with an appropriate name that demonstrates its true purpose. It still can't bring itself to publish the 0871 consultation responses, and has ignored a recent email asking for a date when the final statement will be given. It's a joke body with a joke name to match.

Surely this newly started thread is a duplication of the thread already commenced about this topic quite a while ago. Before starting a new thread members should ensure that there is not already a thread started on the topic, otherwise there is a lack of continuity and coherence, in that some of the information and comment already posted is not considered by subsequent posters, who then risk "inventing the wheel all over again"!

Moderators: surely it is your normal policy to merge new threads posted carelessly like this one? I suggest this thread should be merged with the already existing thread: "ICSTIS becomes PhonepayPlus"!