"we are removing BT's obligation to offer carrier pre-selection (CPS) and indirect access (IA) where BT's retail arm provides the retail access line;"

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/nmr-13/statement/statement-summar...

bigjohn wrote on Sep 28^th, 2013 at 2:48am:



I think that will be a definite yes, anything to screw their customers, I understand they are raising their prices, including line rental, by around 6% in January 2014!

.

sherbert wrote on Sep 28^th, 2013 at 10:16am:


Hi Sherbert.

What it means if they block IA indirect access people would not be able to call short codes like 18185/1899/18866 to make cheaper calls. They should however be able to use the services via there freephone numbers but calls although cheaper then BT  would be dearer then indirect access.

Eg. 30 minute geographical call via 18185 cost 5p,same call via 0808 freephone 35p.

The likes of Talk Talk already block these numbers.

Blocking of CPS would mean you can no longer have your line rental with BT and get cheaper calls from another supplier.

Hope that helps.

We might end up with the bizarre situation where BT blocks them but BT's subsidiary, Plusnet, doesn't.

In the days of a monopoly provider of telephone lines Indirect Access (IA) and Carrier Pre-Select (CPS) allowed subscribers to place calls with other operators.

Ofcom has recently found that BT no longer has a Significant Market Power in the fixed voice retail calls market, and no other telco does either. For that reason the regulatory requirement for BT to allow its customers to access IA and CPS was dropped.

IA and CPS will only exist when there are providers of lines that allow access to them. The fewer telephone users who can access them the less worthwhile it must be for them to operate. So if BT does decide to cease allowing access, it will be pulling the plug on a significant number of customers to these providers.

It is to be expected that a telecommunications provider isn't likely to wish its customers make calls with others operators. For that reason the days of the IA and CPS models would appear to be numbered, unless providers are compelled to allow access. The question is: could IA services operate on geographic or 03 numbers?

A similar situation exists with some mobile operators not permitting use of VoIP services.


If BT were to stop allowing access to IA and CPS services it would not be "blocking" them as such, but rather it would be ceasing the allowance of access to them, which it has been compelled to do up to now.

thanks loddon,

I'll be checking them out!

loddon wrote on Oct 11^th, 2013 at 6:51am:

International rates are the main area where these alternative call providers are useful. The cost of packages which include domestic "geographic rate" calls has fallen greatly over the years, but the cost of ringing international destinations from the main landline providers is still high.

There are quite a few mobile providers offering low rates to international destinations, which gives the low-cost operators available via a landline (or mobile) a run for their money.