Dave offers some useful thoughts on this matter. I have to confess that I would not know what to make of this move if it stood in isolation from other issues. It does not, and so I offer some rough and ready thoughts, largely on the broader issues.
A key question to ask about this particular issue is, what does BT do with the extra money:
- Return it to the callers who it believes are being overcharged?
- Pass it on the users of the numbers as an addition to their revenue share?
- Use it as income in place of that which it is denied due to its own enforced low rates for calls it originates to 0845 numbers.
I suspect the latter is nearest to the truth.
BT cannot expect to be taken seriouly if it claims that it is trying to force mobile companies to lower their charges. That is however what it would probably claim, perhaps not without some justification.
I see this largely as a political move by BT. It is part of its campaign to get revenue sharing on 0845 calls stopped and for all operators to be required to charge for 0870 (and eventually 0845) calls at no greater rate than that for geo calls. I suspect that most of us would wish to join it in that general effort. Whether we feel that this particular tactic is proper is another issue. The inclusion of both 0845 and 0870 calls in packages was part of this same strategy, as in both cases this anticipated such a change.
This is also loosely connected to the quite separate “Terminate the Rate” campaign which attacks mobile operators gaining income from call charges, although in that case on incoming and inter-operator calls, rather than outgoing calls to BT.
I am of the view that if mobile operators do not gain income from call charges they will be required to seek to gain it in other ways. Given the place that mobile use has in society at present, I hope those who support radical change will be happy to accept the consequences. For this reason, I remain somewhat agnostic on this matter, as I want to understand the consequences clearly before I sign up to any radical proposal.
Overall I believe that Ofcom will have to return to this issue in a more comprehensive fashion when it undertakes its review of NTS shortly. As Ofcom has to specifically weigh particular competing interests in settling this dispute, this work could inform its later determinations on general policy, be totally irrelevant to them or actually distort the position. The disciplines followed in resolving disputes are not necessarily the same as those used in determining general regulatory policy.
I note that engagement from stakeholders is invited - either as direct parties to the dispute or simply out of interest. If sufficient interest is shown by members of this forum, then I believe that saynoto0870.com should consider registering and making representations.
As a side issue, which is not totally unrelated. I have seen no sign of Ofcom taking action in relation to the new requirements in respect of clear notification of the charges for calling 0870 numbers introduced on 1 August 2009. I cannot recall seeing anything in this forum from any aggrieved party who finds the call cost information inadequate.