http://www.ofcom.org.uk/telecoms/groups/nts_focus/notes/nts_271108NTS Focus Group – 27th November 2008 – 2.00 pm OfcomAgenda item (1) - IntroductionsAttendance:
Mike Barford Tiscali
Geoff Brighton Ofcom
Kath Embleton BT
Lesa Green KCom
Sean Hartley BT
Clive Hillier Ofcom
Justin Hornby C&W (Chair)
Dirmuid Jennings Reality Telecom
Andy Martin IV Response
Steve McGeary Via-Vox
Laurent Pariat C&W
Sandra Reid VirginMedia
By telephone
Will Goodall Flextel
John Kelly Gamma Telecom
Bart van Besien J2 Global
John Hudson Verizon
Simon 4D Interactive
Apologies:
Catherine Gerosa Invomo
Agenda (2): Update / progress report on the current 'live' NTS related consultations / investigations: (Ofcom/All)Review of Regulation of Premium Rate Services
Geoff Brighton (Ofcom) gave an update that publication is now expected to be January and February next year.
General Condition 14 Enforcement Programme
Attention was drawn to the recent competition bulletin in relation to this enforcement programme. The bulletin extended the programme for three months but this is now drawing to a close as those companies that had requested extra time have now informed Ofcom that they are now compliant with the regulations.
Agenda Item (3): 0870 Statement and DisputeGeoff Brighton indicated that the 0870 target date for publication remained as being before Christmas. Drafting is well advanced but publication may be after Christmas. Publication of the statement will probably correspond with a draft determination on the 0870 dispute.
Will Goodall asked about the implementation period to be given in the statement. Geoff indicated that this would be specified in the statement but that it certainly would not be the 18 months that was originally provided, particularly as the changes had now been over two years in the making and should have been taken into account by now.
Andy Martin voiced his concern that as the 0870 changes are reliant upon GC14 enforcement there can be no confidence that they will achieve Ofcom’s pricing transparency goals. He voiced concern about the closure of the GC14 enforcement programme (see above) as in his view mobile compliance was particularly poor. Andy indicated that he had written to the GC14 case leader on the subject. Clive invited Andy to speak to Ofcom after the meeting.
Agenda Item (4): 0871 StatementClive indicated that this document is to be expected next week or possibly the week after.
Agenda Item (5): NCCN908 & Porting DifferentialThe group was asked for comments regarding NCCN908, but had no comment to make at this stage.
Justin Hornby acknowledged BT’s note regarding the porting differential which had been circulated to the group ahead of the meeting. Laurent Pariat asked what the commercial implications of call trapping were and whether these should be addressed on a bi-lateral or an industry working group level. Whilst it was acknowledged that it could not be assumed that every operator can call trap or indeed that the traffic warrants it, Laurent pointed out that BT already call trapped geographic traffic at the switch and questioned whether BT were able to do it. Sean Hartley indicated that people within BT were looking into the issue and that the issue may be the volume of traffic to the IN.
Andy Martin commented that the volumes for a number of operators will not be large enough for it to be an issue.
Kath Embleton suggested that it should be raised at the next Porting Commercial Group meeting.
AP Nov8_01: Lesa Green to raise the issue at the next Porting Commercial Group Meeting.
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