The BBC report is hyping this a bit - it is only a consultation at this stage. The idea has been strongly opposed as it has developed to this point.

All if the “big beasts” of the telecoms business are involved here, most on one side or the other, although with “3” on the “wrong” side and Virgin Media on both sides. Ofcom has obviously been doing its Charles Atlas exercises lately as it has also taken on BSkyB this week. (I could also say that I am now re-engaged in battle over Silent Calls, although that fight is never going to sell ringside seats at any good price.)

We will undoubtedly hear all manner of horror stories about what will happen to the cost of having a mobile once the vast subsidy currently paid by landline callers is taken away. We will also hear how the landline telcos are not going to pass on any of the cost saving that they will achieve in generally lower rates to call mobiles.

Whilst there will be exaggeration, I hope that nobody will be fooled into thinking that this change will have no impact on the costs borne by mobile users, although that is what the Terminate the Rate campaign is claiming. When somebody tells you that money grows on trees, there is no need to check the calendar, just ask yourself if they have any interest in what they are trying to get you to believe.

Members of the forum may be interested to note that a highly relevant document has been published along with the pack of documents for this consultation. This is a research document covering Consumer Transparency in Telephone Numbering. It address calling 08 numbers from both landlines and mobiles. This will perhaps be more relevant to the forthcoming consultation on new ways of regulating charges for calling 08 / NTS / revenue-sharing numbers.