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Monday, April 15, 2013

Ofcom plans to change the way non-geographic telephone calls are charged

0800 calls will be free from all mobiles

Last April, UK telecoms regulator Ofcom suggested some changes to the way non-geographic numbers are regulated.

It wanted calls to numbers that began 080 and 116 to be free from all fixed-line and mobile phones; currently some mobile operators charge for calls that are ‘free’ from fixed lines. In addition, it proposed a new tariff structure for other non-geographic calls with consumers being made more aware of the payments that go to the telephone network and the service provider.

Ofcom has now said it expects to introduce this new charging structure in 2015.

Consumers calling numbers that begin 08, 09 and 118 will pay an ‘access charge’ to their phone company plus a ‘service charge’ to the organisation they’re calling. Networks will set an access charge that applies to all these non-geographic numbers. Calls to 080 ‘freephone’ numbers will be free from all telephones.

A final decision will be made by the summer, when Ofcom will confirm the date on which any changes will be introduced. It says there’ll be 18 months from the conclusion of the review to the introduction of the changes.

[Ofcom consultation]

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Categories: Networks and operators, NewsNumber of views: 5479

Tags: uk legal ofcom tariff

1 comments on article "Ofcom plans to change the way non-geographic telephone calls are charged"

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Jon

11/7/2013 3:33 PM

Originally 0800 calls from mobiles were included in talk plans, because mobile operators knew they were no more expensive than ordinary calls.

When mobile operators decided to charge 'a premium', OFCOM should have stepped in and prevented it, and this should have been done 20 years ago.

Further, if OFCOM wants to look after the publics interests, all mobile phones sold in UK should be unlocked, and have to be sold as just a phone (SIM Free).

The user must then obtain an account (and SIM card) from any provider. This will stop ridiculously priced deals extracting huge amounts of money from a public that is grossly ill-eductaed and under-informed on mobile matters.

A soldier on Op Olympic,

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