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Overview

In April 2006 we decided to implement a package of measures to address consumer and industry concerns about NTS

1.1 Number Translation Services (NTS) calls are calls to 08 numbers (‘NTS numbers’), though as explained later in the document, there are a few exceptions.

1.2 In April 2006, we concluded a major review of our policy about NTS and announced a package of measures designed to improve consumer protection, pricing transparency and to address some Industry problems that led to persistent disputes that Ofcom was called upon to resolve.

1.3 We decided to implement some of the changes straightaway and others over the following two years in order to give everyone time to prepare.

We proposed a major change to the way 0870 calls are charged

1.4 Our proposals included a major change to the way 0870 calls are charged to improve pricing transparency and to address some industry problems. We decided to repair the linkage between charges for 0870 calls and national calls to geographic numbers so that callers would normally pay no more to call an 0870 number than to call a geographic number. If communications providers (‘CPs’) want to depart from this convention and charge more than their national rate for a 0870 call, it was our original intention that they would have to provide a free-of-charge announcement telling the caller the price of the call.

1.5 In order to implement these changes we need to undertake a final consultation about our proposed changes to the regulations for 0870 calls so that the new rules can take effect. We originally intended to publish this consultation in autumn 2007 in order that the changes could take effect from Feb 2008. However, we have taken extra time to reconsider whether we should require the use of pricing announcements after it became clear they might cause serious problems for machine-to-machine calls including personal, fire and burglar alarms, leading to potential life threatening consequences.

We have decided not to require the use of pricing announcements and are presenting modified proposals

1.6 We are proposing that we should implement the changes to the way 0870 calls are charged but have modified our proposals in the light of the problems that might be caused by announcements. Instead of announcements we are proposing that CPs wishing to charge more for 0870 calls than for geographic calls would be subject to new requirements to display their 0870 charges prominently on price lists and advertising/ promotional materials.

1.7 These new requirements will build on the present obligations contained in General Condition 14 where CPs are required to give equal prominence to NTS and geographic call prices in all price lists and promotional materials. Under our new requirements the existing obligations will extend to include 0870 now that these are no longer NTS calls. In addition CPs are required to state clearly, wherever they advertise any call prices, discount schemes, inclusive packages and bundles which include calls, whether or not NTS and 0870 calls are included in such schemes. One other new requirement is that CPs should only refer to 0870 calls as national rate in their advertising, promotional material and retail bills where their 0870 and geographic prices are the same.

We are seeking stakeholder comments

1.8 Before we can implement the changes to the regulations, we are required by law to conduct a public consultation. In this document we are seeking comments about the modifications to the regulations and to the revisions to the policy in light of the problems with alarm services. The changes that we need to make to the regulations are:

• modify the designation for 0870 calls in the National Telephone Numbering Plan (‘the Plan’) and the associated Numbering Application Forms;
• modify General Condition 17 to make the new designation for 0870 calls applicable to all communications providers;
• modify the definition of NTS calls to remove the regulatory support for revenue sharing;
• modify General Condition 14.2 to include 0870 calls now that they will no longer be classified as NTS

1.9 This document contains the draft legal notifications of the changes to the regulations required to implement the changes.

1.10 We are seeking stakeholder comments on our proposals and have allowed 6 weeks (until 16 June 2008) for responses. Once we have reviewed the responses to the consultation we will publish a statement specifying our conclusions. Assuming we do not make any significant changes in response to stakeholder comments, we anticipate that the statement will contain the final legal notifications implementing our proposals.

The full document is available below

• Changes to 0870 [pdf]
  Full Print Version

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