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Summary

1.1 The purpose of this document is to consult on Ofcom’s proposals to make additional numbers available in areas of the UK’s National Numbering Scheme (‘the Scheme’) where the supply of existing resource has become limited. It is not a consultation on new policy or on changes to how such numbers are allocated or used. The proposals relate to additional numbers designated for use as Premium Rate Services (‘PRS’).

1.2 It is Ofcom’s duty to ensure that the best use is made of the UK’s numbering resource and to encourage efficiency and innovation for that purpose, thus ensuring sufficient and appropriate telephone numbers and codes are available to provide communications services to consumers. 09 number ranges are used for a variety of PRS and continuing competition and growth in the provision of these services has resulted in a scarcity of number blocks to allocated to Communications Providers (‘CPs’).

1.3 To ensure the continued availability of numbers for PRS, and thereby supporting competition, consumer choice and innovation in service provision additional numbers are required to supplement some of the current 090/091 PRS ranges.

1.4 Ofcom’s statement Telephone Numbering: Safeguarding the future of numbers, 27 July 2006 (the ‘July statement’ ) proposed the restructuring of the 09 ranges to provide greater tariff transparency and rebuild consumer trust in dialling PRS numbers. Separately Ofcom is also planning a wider review of the scope of regulation for PRS and intends to publish proposals for consultation later this year. While this work is ongoing, Ofcom needs to accommodate anticipated demand for PRS numbers and is therefore proposing to make more 09 numbers available now within the existing 09 numbering structure, set out in the National Telephone Numbering Plan (‘the Plan’) to accommodate anticipated demand for PRS numbers.

1.5 Ofcom is proposing to open the following additional 3-digit sub-ranges:

1. 0902 for ’Special Services, time charged calls up to and including 60ppm and total call cost not greater then £5 or fixed fee up to £1 per call (all prices are for BT customers)’(‘call cap’); and
2. 0903 for ‘Special Services, open ended time dependent charge or fixed fee up to £1.50 for BT customers’ (‘open ended’).

1.6 When applying for an allocation or reservation of telephone numbers CPs are required to use the appropriate application form as directed by Ofcom. Numbering Application Form S9 (‘the Application Form’) is appropriate for the purpose of applying for PRS numbering. The opening of the proposed additional 09 numbers within these sub-ranges requires a consequential change to the Application Form. Ofcom is therefore seeking comments on our proposal to modify the Application Form to include the additional sub-ranges.

1.7 This consultation seeks responses to the specific questions set out in the document and general comments during the one month and one day consultation period, which ends at 5pm on 24 September 2007 (this being the closest working day to the end of the consultation period). The Communications Act 2003 (‘the Act’) states that one month and one day is the minimum period for consultation on modifications to Application Forms. Ofcom has decided not to extend the consultation period beyond the minimum statutory requirement because the proposals only directly relate to applications for telephone numbers, not to the public at large. The changes proposed are administrative in scope and relate only to existing policy and policy documents (i.e. amending the existing 09 Application Form).

The full document is available below:

• Number Availability - Supplying numbers for 09 premium rate services [pdf]
  Full print version

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