Source: Moray Council

http://www.moray.gov.uk/minutes/data/CPB20090705/Item%2012.pdf

REPORT TO: COMMUNITY PLANNING BOARD - 7 MAY 2009
SUBJECT: 0845 TELEPHONE NUMBERS
BY: CORPORATE POLICY UNIT MANGER

1. REASON FOR REPORT

1.1 The Moray Council convenor has a letter he has received which he wishes to be considered by the Community Planning Board with regards the use of 0845 telephone numbers for Customers to access partners services. This report will provide an overview of the operation and options available by using these telephone numbers

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3. BACKGROUND

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3.6 There are a number of ways a secondary provider establishes the cost of the call. With some the caller pays one part of the charge and the service provider an additional element. With others there is no incoming call fee to the service provider and the caller pays a premium. These additional charges are to provide extra services.

i) 0845 numbers charge all callers at the local telephone rate, the same as a local call to a standard telephone number. Additional charges are levied in the form of a call set up charge to pay for the additional features.

ii) 0870, 0871 etc nominally have a trunk rate call charge, although this will vary from supplier to supplier who will set their own trunk rates plus call set up fees.

iii) Calls from mobiles to 08XX numbers can be considerably more expensive and more and more people are using mobiles as their sole telephone service.

3.7 The advantage of a 08XX number to the service being called is that the call can be directed to any telephone number required. This makes it easy to change the termination of a call at different times while customers only have to remember a single number. Some 08XX suppliers offer additional services such as automatic answering systems to again make it easy to place calls to the appropriate telephone so only one number is published but different departments can be accessed from it. These additional facilities are covered by the additional charges.

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The absurd antiquated obsession with 0845 being regarded as "local rate" continues. This is the nonsense that has lead to the widespread use of 084 (and 087) NTS numbers in general.

Paragraph 3.7 talks of the technical and logistical benefits of using number translation services (NTS). When we consider that these NTS are paid for by higher 'wholesale' charges levied on call retailers (BT, Virgin Media, Talk Talk, 18185 etc) is there little wonder that so many organisations choose to use them? Do they really need these services and is there really no lower cost way (regardless of who pays) of providing the flexibility?

How are more modern IP-based solutions going to take off when providers can generate more revenue from 0845 NTS calls? I wonder whether this nonsense is hindering the use of the latest technology.

It's surely the case that NTSs being sold on the basis that they provide flexibility when in fact the technical specifications and call costs are totally separate.

Take a look at their website and see just how old most of the old fogies on the council really are!