Responsibilities

• In its September 2001 Statement, Oftel outlined the framework for new arrangements for Directory Enquiries services in the UK, including Oftel’s intention to set up a DQ industry working group to progress key outstanding issues.
• This Group is a Sub-Group of the Directory Enquiries Implementation Working Group.
• This Sub-Group will act as the forum for discussion of consumer-affecting issues arising from the implementation of the new DQ arrangements as set out in Oftel’s September 2001 Statement. These issues will either be identified by the DQ Implementation Working Group and passed to the Consumer Issues Sub-Group, or will be identified by the Sub-Group on its own initiative.
• This Sub-Group will seek the views of consumer representatives, and take account of these views in coming to its conclusions.
• This Sub-Group will report its conclusions to the DQ Implementation Working Group, and advise the Implementation Working Group on appropriate time scales for consumer affecting milestones.

Membership

• The Sub-Group will be open to:
• consumer representatives from the ACTs and other relevant consumer bodies;
• Oftel;
• BT;
• Kingston Communications;
• the Chairs of the other DQ Sub-Groups (namely the Billing and Interconnection Sub-Group and the Numbering Sub-Group);
• a representative of Annex 2 fixed operators;
• a representative of Annex 2 mobile operators;
• a representative of (non-network operator) service providers considering providing a full (business and residential) national Directory Enquiries Service and/or an International Directory Enquiries Service using a 118XX(X) code.
• Participation will be limited to at most two representatives from any organisation (except consumer organisations) at any meeting.
• Extra participants from some organisations may be invited by the Sub-Group on an ad-hoc basis in the event that specialist advice is required.

Method of Working

• Meetings will be held at minimum quarterly, and will be linked with important milestones where necessary.
• This Sub-Group will present its conclusions to the DQ Implementation Working Group (and Oftel). Any such proposals will be circulated to the Sub-Group email distribution list for approval, and the Sub-Group will attempt to gain consensus for the proposal prior to submission to the Implementation Working Group. At least 1 week will be allowed for comments from Sub-Group participants. Participants that do not respond will be considered to support the proposal.
• An email distribution list will be maintained of meeting participants and other contacts from organisations considering providing a full (business and residential) national Directory Enquiries Service and/or an International Directory Enquiries Service using a 118XX(X) code who indicate they wish to be included on such a list.
• Minutes of each meeting will be produced as soon as possible after each meeting, and will be circulated by email. Minutes will be posted on Oftel’s web site when circulated, and amendments to the minutes will be agreed in the minutes of the next meeting.

Constitution

• The Chair will be responsible for administering and maintaining the master email distribution list for the Sub-Group, arranging Sub-Group meetings and reporting to the Implementation Working Group. The Chair will have a duty to carry out chairing functions impartially. Where the Chair also represents an interested organisation, the Chair will clearly indicate when s/he is acting in the role of Chair, and when s/he is acting on behalf of his/her organisation.
• Gareth Owen of Babel Telecom will chair the Sub-Group.
• Secretary – duty to rotate in reverse alphabetical order amongst meeting participants (excluding Oftel and the consumer representatives).

Quorum

• Minimum - representatives of five different organisations, including at least one representative of a fixed network operator, one representative of a mobile network operator, one representative of a (non-network operator) service provider, two consumer representatives, and Oftel.