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| Minutes
- DQ Implementation Working Group # 17 |
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BT
Holborn Centre
120 Holborn, London EC1N 2TE
11.00am 25 February 2003
Attendees
Company Participant
BT Sean Hartley
BT Wholesale Beatrice Osborn
BT Retail Regulation Sarah Jefferson
Cable & Wireless Philip Cheal
Centrica Nick Turley
Conduit Tom Hickey
Context Connect Les Oliver
Centrica Nick Turley
i-CD Publishing Keith Marsden
i-CD Publishing Dominic Blackburn
ICSTIS Paul Whiteing
Kingston Nancy Cox
Ntl Sara-Jane Amey
Oftel Caroline Wallace
O2 Steve Evans
Telegate Dirk Amtsberg
Telegate Michael Kalina
Telewest Andrew Wileman
Apologies
BT Directories Ian Watson
Oftel Alex Campbell
Spitfire JusTin Orcle
Documents distributed prior to the meeting, with extra copies available
at the meeting:
Agenda, Minutes of the previous meeting, Project plan.
1. Introductions and apologies
Caroline Wallace opened the meeting and all present introduced themselves.
An attendance sheet was circulated and is reproduced above. Dominic
Blackburn of i-CD Publishing agreed to take the minutes of the meeting.
2. Minutes of previous meeting (21th January 2003)
The minutes were agreed with no changes though Beatrice Osborn highlighted
how well section 6 clarified the complicated discussions.
3. Action point review and matters arising not addressed elsewhere
AP RESPONSIBLE DESCRIPTION STATUS
11.1 ALL Network Messaging: anyone interested in joining the group
to talk about the third party network messaging solution to contact
Tom Hickey (Conduit). ONGOING
Offer of joining the group to remain open.
13.2 Bob Twitchin / Michael Day To provide guidance notes for the
DQ industry on disability issues. There has been a delay in the production
of these notes, now due to be completed in time for the February 25th
2003 meeting. Discharged
Michael Day's presentation (as circulated) covered all points.
15.2a All Network Operators Requested to provide information about
where to find details of their retail charges for 118 calls to Nik
Hole (The Number). Ongoing
15.2b Nik Hole (The Number) Prepare and circulate a collated list
giving the location of retail pricing information for 118 DQ services
Ongoing
15.6 DQ SPs not already in the Phone book leaflet Advise The Response
Team if SPs wish to participate in the next version of DQ phone book
leaflet. New leaflet being distributed in April 2003, current leaflet
now being issued with Phone Books. Discharged
15.7 IW (BT) To provide a cut-off date for inclusion in the next version
of the phone book leaflet Discharged
16.1 Oftel Caroline Wallace to add call barring to agenda for next
DQ Consumer Group meeting. Discharged
16.2 Oftel Oftel to circulate the MoU proposal to the IWG. Discharged
16.3 Oftel Oftel to make Phase 2 billing an agenda item for the next
DQ Consumer Group meeting, due February 4th 2003. Discharged
16.4 Ian Watson
BT Ian to make all changes agreed at the DQ IWG meeting (#16) and
issue a new version of the Project Plan prior to meeting #17 (February
25th 2003). Discharged
16.5 Oftel Oftel to provide Ian with dates for publications of network
operator dialling statistics (tasks 89 - 91). Discharged
16.6 Oftel. To set up a presentation by BT Directory Solutions about
data protection at the DQ IWG meeting in March 2003. Ongoing
4. Network Messaging
Oftel will publish the consultation document for Network Messaging
within the next 2-3 weeks. There will follow a 6 week consultation
period which has been shortened from the usual three months due to
the tight time constraints. Oftel would then require 3-4 weeks to
prepare a statement. This will mean that the publication of the Statement
is likely to be around mid May. Oftel had not been able to publish
the consultation document as quickly as it would have liked due to
the new legal framework being introduced on 25th July 2003 (as a result
of new European telecoms directives) which complicates the issue.
NTL highlighted the point that this will give the Operators only 2-3
months to implement the solution which is very tight. Tom Hickey of
Conduit stated that the MOU Group will work in parallel with the Oftel
consultation process as much as possible, doing the commercial and
technical groundwork prior to Oftel's Statement so Operators can also
begin making preparations prior to Oftel issuing its Statement.
Network Operators will have an opportunity to raise concerns over
cost and implementation timescales during the consultation period.
In response to a question from a DQSP, Oftel stated that it had not
completely ruled out a slip in the August deadline for parallel running
if this proved necessary to implement the preferred network messaging
option, but that Oftel understands that this is highly undesirable.
Both Kingston Communications and Telegate raised the point that most
companies have already prepared resources for an August launch and
so any slippage should be avoided at all costs. Oftel reiterated that
it hoped there would not be any change in the end of the parallel
run, and these factors would be taken into account in the consultation
period.
Tom Hickey then presented the key points from the MOU group meeting.
An invitation to tender was issued at the end of January and responses
were expected by the end of February. No firm responses had been received
though some enquiries had been made and so the group felt a competitive
environment would ensue. There was a workshop on 18th February to
discuss the possible practical solutions which was very useful and
helped develop awareness of cost issues.
There were two models proposed, the first where an independent service
provider offered the messaging and originating networks carried the
traffic to this service. The second is where originating networks
play a standard message to the user, and the MoU Group funds the message.
The second method is proposed as a fallback solution.
The workshop discussed the technical, commercial and routing aspects
and found there were no major technical hurdles, the main issue being
the timescales to setup suitable capacity. The two methods for routing
the calls would be following the freephone model or geographic translation.
The freephone method may not cover all of the operator costs while
the geographic translation method will require the terminating network
to have a billing agreement in place with the originating network.
The costs of geographic translation were briefly mentioned as being
around 3p per minute plus set-up costs. The point was raised that
if originating networks have to agree a commercial contract with the
terminating network, the timescale may prove too tight.
The next steps for the group are to evaluate the proposals and the
responses to the ITT and also to formalise the group.
NTL stated that Operators will not implement the proposals until Oftel
publishes its Statement. The MOU group will however endeavour to incorporate
as much preparation work as possible prior to Oftel's issuing of the
statement so as to simplify the implementation.
Oftel made it clear that it may be the case that there will be strong
incentives for both DQSPs and originating networks to agree and implement
the solution by the deadline, as under the options being examined
by Oftel, originating networks may not be able to play any message
on 192 other than the ones specified as a result of the Oftel consultation
process.
Kingston wished to make sure that one of the solutions being considered
is for networks to play their own message promoting their own number.
Oftel suggested that another workshop might be useful between DQSPs
and network operators during the consultation period, in the light
of the options set out in Oftel's consultation document.
17.1 Tom Hickey Tom Hickey to send Caroline Wallace the notes of the
workshop and CW to circulate these to the DQ IWG New Action Point
17.2 Caroline Wallace CW to notify IWG when the consultation document
is online New Action Point
17.3 Caroline Wallace CW to add consultation document to the agenda
of the next DQ IWG Meeting New Action Point
5. Future of Oftel DQ 118 web page
Caroline Wallace of Oftel stated that there were now links to www.newdirectoryenquiries.com
on the Oftel website. The listings of individual services are still
on the Oftel site but will be brought down in the near future. Cable
& Wireless stated that there was not a complete list available
nor did the list detail availability from other originating networks.
Oftel clarified that the list does not claim to be complete. CW also
requested suggestions on how best to display information about availability
of 118 services on the various UK networks on the web site without
confusing consumers with excessive information.
17.4 Caroline Wallace To discuss with the Response Team how best to
include information about 118 service availability in the DQ leaflet
and on the associated web site. New Action Point
6. Billing & Interconnection/Phase II billing sub group
Dirk Amtsberg of Telegate gave a progress report on the Phase II billing
sub group's last meeting. Progress had been made but not as much as
hoped. Substantial work had been done on the SOR document for Phase
II billing. The first draft had favoured one supplier in particular
and this had been rewritten to avoid this issue. Progress is being
made via conference calls and the next meeting is scheduled for the
25th March. Phase II billing was presented to the consumer sub group
and Telegate have received some feedback and is awaiting some more.
Dirk Amtsberg will collate the feedback and circulate to the DQ IWG.
The Scottish advisory group had raised concerns of the control of
bills and adult consent which were agreed as appropriate concerns.
17.5 Dirk Amtsberg To collate and circulate feedback from the consumer
sub group regarding Phase II billing New Action Point~
7. Consumer Issues Sub Group
Caroline Wallace, Oftel, presented the report from the sub group.
The sub group was brought up to date on BT's approach to Call Barring
and were happy with this. The group was also made aware of the shorter
consultation period for Network Messaging and were ready for this.
The launch of the new services in December had gone well, though only
9% of consumers were aware of the deregulation when Oftel last did
a study in November 2002. New consumer awareness figures will be published
by Oftel each Quarter with the next consumer awareness survey being
undertaken in February - with results to follow in March.
The next meeting will take place on the 13th May. Oftel requested
that more network operators and DQ service providers consider attending
the consumer sub group as the turn out for the last meeting was low.
8. Review of Project Plan / Key Milestones
The end of the parallel run was moved forwards by one day to midnight
on Saturday/Sunday 23/24 August. It was pointed out by BT that this
was the last Bank Holiday before Christmas and so the last appropriate
date in BT's view for the end of the parallel run before Christmas.
Oftel may issue a press release regarding consumer awareness when
the figures are announced next month. This is more likely if the figures
show low awareness of the deregulation and new services. Oftel will
inform the DQIWG if it intends to issue a press release so that operators
and DQSPs can co-ordinate their own press activities.
The project plan was reviewed. The BT representatives at the meeting
took notes of the agreed changes to the plan so that Ian Watson of
BT could update the plan accordingly.
Oftel stated that BT had provided Oftel with dialling statistics on
the BT network and it was clear that very little movement had occurred
away from 192.
10. Any Other Business
Paul Whiteing of ICSTIS briefly mentioned ICSTIS's intention to carry
out some monitoring activity in relation to the new 118 DQ services.
17.6 Caroline Wallace To add ICSTIS monitoring to agenda for the next
meeting New Action.
11. Review of Outstanding and New Action Points
AP RESPONSIBLE DESCRIPTION STATUS
11.1 ALL Network Messaging: anyone interested in joining the group
to talk about the third party network messaging solution to contact
Tom Hickey (Conduit). ONGOING
Offer of joining the group to remain open.
15.2a All Network Operators Requested to provide information about
where to find details of their retail charges for 118 calls to Nik
Hole (The Number). Ongoing
15.2b Nik Hole (The Number) Prepare and circulate a collated list
giving the location of retail pricing information for 118 DQ services
Ongoing
16.6 Oftel. To set up a presentation by BT Directory Solutions about
data protection at the DQ IWG meeting in March 2003. Ongoing
17.1 Tom Hickey Tom Hickey to send Caroline Wallace the notes of the
meeting and CW to circulate these to the DQ IWG New Action Point
17.2 Caroline Wallace CW to notify IWG when the consultation document
is online New Action Point
17.3 Caroline Wallace CW to add consultation document to the agenda
of the next DQ IWG Meeting New Action Point
17.4 Caroline Wallace To discuss with the Response Team how best to
include information about 118 service availability in the DQ leaflet
and on the associated web site. New Action Point
17.5 Dirk Amtsberg To collate and circulate feedback from the consumer
sub group regarding Phase II billing New Action Point
17.6 Caroline Wallace To add ICSTIS monitoring to agenda for the next
meeting New Action.
12. Date of Next Meeting
Tuesday 25th March 2003 11am - venue Oftel
Tuesday 29th April 2003 11 am - venue TBA (Volunteers welcome)
Tuesday 3rd June2003 11 am - venue TBA (Volunteers Welcome)
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