Ofcom’s final proposal highlights the following changes to Non-Geographic Number services.
0870: End to revenue sharing
An end to revenue share payments
Clear pricing information from communications providers
Potential cost to receive calls to your 0870 numbers after the changes
The 0870 changes will happen on 1st August 2009
0871: To be regulated by PhonepayPlus
- Regulated by premium rate services regulator, PhonepayPlus
- No separate brand from other 09 and 070 premium rate number services
- Will be covered by PhonepayPlus code of practice - and a 'Statement of Application' on how this will apply to 0871 ranges
PhonepayPlus published its Statement of Application in November 2007, detailing how it intends to regulate the 0871 range. There are 2 key parts that will impact your business:
Price Transparency
If you are called by consumers, it will become a legal requirement to display the cost to call the 0871 service wherever the 0871 number is shown.
This means on business cards, the side of vans and in all other advertising where the number appears. PPP will offer a free advertising checking service that anyone can use to help with this.
Undue delay
Where call queuing is used on 0871, it needs to be made as transparent as possible. This is to ensure that a caller can make an informed decision as to whether to continue with the call.
It’s recommended that callers are informed of their position in the queue, estimated time of wait and advice as to better times to call.
PhonepayPlus will take control of the 0871 range from 1st August 2009
0845: To be reviewed after 0870 changes are complete
- Currently more cost effective for many dial-up pay-as-you-go internet users to dial an 0845 number than to make a national-rate call to a geographic number
- Review expected to change 0845 in line with the 0870 reforms
03: New number range
- Call cost to be the same as calls to national-rate geographic numbers
- Predominantly for government and not-for-profit organisations
- Corresponding 0344/ 0345/ 0370/ 0371 numbers to be made available to the current users of the 08xx equivalent
Find out more about 03 numbers.
