Agenda
1.
Introductions / House keeping
2. Background to meeting
3. Update on developing number administration
4. NICC report recommendation discussion
- Pre-allocation
porting.
- Further digit
analysis for routing.
5. Commercial
considerations
- The NICC
implications of 0500 numbers.
- Incentives
to release unused 6 digit 0800 numbers.
- Protection
of 7-digit numbers which are similar to 6-digit numbers.
- The scope
and demand for issuing new 6-digit or shorter numbers.
- Reservation
of 0800 numbers for marketing purposes.
- Over-dialling
(presentation of numbers).
6. Next
Steps
7. AOB
Oftel
Panel Members
Peter Walker
- Oftel Technical Director – Chairman
of the meeting
Ray Thornton -
Oftel Numbering Unit Manager
Warwick Izzard -
Oftel Regulatory Policy Adviser
Alan Pridmore -
Oftel Regulatory Policy
Maura Crawford - Oftel
Numbering Unit Administrator – Secretary to the meeting.
Minutes
of Meeting
Agenda
item 1 - Introductions/housekeeping
1.1 Peter Walker,
Director of Technology at Oftel, welcomed the large number of attendees
representing operators, users and consumer groups to the meeting.
It was explained that the purpose of the meeting was to encourage
discussion of commercial issues relating to the use of freephone
numbers, and the Network Interoperability Consultative Committee
(NICC) recommendations on the future of freephone numbering. The
meeting agreed the agenda, which is attached at Annex A.
Agenda
item 2 - Background to meeting
2.1 Peter Walker
briefed the group on the background to the meeting. A document Freephone
Numbering – Background document, August 1999, was distributed
to attendees and is attached to the minutes at Annex B.
Agenda
item 3 - Update on Individual Number Allocation (INA)
3.1 Alan Pridmore
gave a presentation on the background, current position and future
plans for Individual Number Allocation. Copies of the slides are
attached at Annex C. A question and answer (Q&A) session followed
the presentation.
3.2 During
the Q&A session it was established that:
- All numbers
were likely to be charged a nominal annual rental fee in order
to ensure that numbers were returned when they were no longer
required. There would also probably be a one-off allocation fee
for numbers [the consultation pointed to European examples of
£10-20 per number]. Under the new arrangements numbers in blocks
allocated to operators but not allocated to customers would be
returned to the pool of available numbers.
- The commercial
reaction to charging for numbers was difficult to gauge. The cost
incurred by operators for numbers was currently passed onto the
customer either directly or indirectly. Number charges may simply
make the costs transparent. Alternatively, depending on the allocation
mechanism, competition between operators might bid away the price
of numbers.
- Legislative
and technical changes were required before the proposed developments
to number administration could be launched. Until more processes
were in place, Oftel could not give a more precise timetable than
"by the year 2002" given in the May Statement.
- Numbers from
the UK Numbering Scheme were a national resource and remained
the property of the country, although Oftel was looking to clarify
the "rights of use" of numbers.
- A round table
discussion meeting was planned for 8 September 1999 to discuss
rules governing the use of numbers. Notice of the meeting and
related papers were to be posted on the Internet.
- It was expected
that numbers would normally be allocated on a "first come
first served" basis. Charging would reflect the attractiveness
of the number.
- Oftel believed
that INA was appropriated for ranges where customers place particular
importance on the choice of number and where the market was mature.
For this reason initially the 08 and 09 ranges were selected for
INA with 070 (personal numbering) being an option for the medium
term.
Agenda
item 4 - NICC Report recommendation discussion
4.1
Chris Seymour, representing the NICC established Freephone Task
Group, presented the NICC report and recommendations. A copy of
the report would be posted on the NICC web-site: http://www.oftel.gov.uk/NICC/public.html
The Group studied several options that allowed the use of 6-digit
freephone numbers to continue whilst making additional 0800 capacity
available for allocation. The Freephone Task Group recommended two
options that could be implemented quickly.
4.2 Option 2b
of the NICC report recommended Pre-allocation Porting of 7-digit
0800 numbers to release approximately 250,000 numbers, doubling
the current capacity. It was possible to implement the option within
6 weeks.
4.3 The NICC
report also recommended the use of finer digit analysis to determine
whether a freephone number was 6- or 7-digits in length, thus allowing
mixed number lengths in a block of 10,000 numbers. It was estimated
that potentially 3.75 million new numbers could be created if unused
6-digit 0800 numbers were returned to Oftel and allocated in the
7-digit form. If introduced on a gradual basis operators considered
that further digit analysis for routing was technically possible
at reasonable cost.
4.4 Oftel noted
that there was wide industry support for the NICC recommendations.
The meeting was reminded that a decision could not be taken before
completion of the Cost and Benefit Analysis study on number change.
The study, conducted by Ovum, was due for completion in October
1999.
Agenda
item 5 - Commercial considerations
5.1 Oftel invited
discussion on the implications of accommodating the 0500 range in
the NICC recommendations. C&W confirmed that it was in favour
of 0500 customers migrating to 0800 rather than other 080 sub-ranges.
It was viewed by some as unfair to expect 0500 customers to participate
in the re-branding of another 080 range, e.g. 0808. C&W confirmed
support for a Pre-allocation Porting based solution, but stressed
that the introduction of finer digit analysis should be implemented
with caution and should only be used initially to create migration
paths for 0500 numbers.
5.2 Through questions and answers from the floor, it was apparent
that:
- Any 0500
numbers migrated to the 0800 range would become 7-digit 0800 numbers.
- Oftel was
investigating ways that would allow retention of coveted 0500
numbers. However, the demand to retain 0500 numbers had not yet
been established.
5.3 Oftel indicated
that the implications of allowing retention of coveted 6-digit freephone
numbers, possibly at an additional cost, and also the possibility
of allocating new 6-digit numbers at a premium, needed to be considered.
The DMA stated that it supported the retention of existing 6-digit
numbers but did not wish to see the allocation of new capacity in
the 6-digit form as this was wasteful of capacity. The Freephone
Task Group emphasised that the Pre-allocation Porting solution would
not support the issue of new 6-digit numbers as it applied to conformant
numbers only.
5.4 The Freephone
User Group pointed out that the current low utilisation of freephone
number blocks could indicate a low demand for freephone numbers
and that the level of capacity created by the NICC options would
be sufficient for future needs. Oftel emphasised that it wished
to avoid the inherent pitfalls of forecasting and create more than
sufficient capacity. It was mentioned that the market was growing,
with around 90 operators with freephone allocations direct from
Oftel, which indicated a need for a long-term forecast of demand.
The DMA believed 3 million numbers was more than sufficient to meet
users needs in advance of technical solutions, such as individual
number allocation.
5.5 Oftel sought
views on incentives to release unused 6-digit 0800 numbers. The
meeting was asked to consider whether migration should be forced
on non-coveted 6-digit 0800 numbers in use or whether a financial
incentive should be used to encourage users to migrate rather than
retain the numbers. BT confirmed that the current rate of churn
was slow. It was suggested that once legislation allowed charging
for numbers, a higher fee could be attached to 6-digit numbers.
5.6 Oftel invited
the meeting to consider the issue of 7-digit freephone numbers similar
to existing 6-digit numbers. Comments indicated problems had been
experienced with similar 0800 and 08000 numbers, but that problems
were often cases of similar digit strings being mis-dialled and
calls lost, rather than attempts to ‘pass off’ as another
business. Oftel recognised the risk of issuing similar digit strings
and had considered the establishment of a register of users who
wanted to safeguard their numbers from this situation, probably
for a fee.
5.7 The meeting
discussed the possibility of continued use of mixed number lengths
for 0800 numbers. It was not thought that any other country operated
with 6- and 7-digit freephone numbers, although it was noted that
The Netherlands offered 4- and 7-digit numbers. There was interest
in opening a range for short digit numbers, but reservations were
expressed over introducing short digit numbers in the 0800 range
due to lack of capacity. The operators pointed out that routing
and transiting of mixed number lengths was more difficult and thus
more expensive, and this cost was likely to be passed onto the customer.
Oftel suggested that there were benefits gained from a standard
number length; benefits that have been supported in the public’s
responses to previous consultations and cognitive studies. It was
noted that behavioural research into the benefits of a standard
number length were old and fragmented and it was suggested that
new market research into public views and behaviour patterns could
be commissioned by Oftel and funded by the industry. BT stated that
it was difficult to gain an insight into the causes of mis-dials
on 0800 numbers.
5.8 Oftel invited
the meeting to consider whether the 0800 range should be reserved
for specific types of marketing or ‘publicly aware’ numbers.
The DMA commented that the public perceived calls to 0800 numbers
to be answered in a planned and controlled manner, although other
comments suggested the public did not always view businesses using
0800 numbers as offering a professional service and that the range
had been polluted from past mis-use. It was suggested that an alternative
080 sub-range be branded for personal freephone use, although it
was pointed out that Oftel currently allocates blocks from the 0808
range for personal freephone in order to conserve capacity in the
0800 range, and that sub-ranges would run out if one was designated
for each new service. The meeting generally agreed that unless there
was a successful campaign to brand the whole of the 080 range as
freephone (difficult whilst 0802 was a mobile code and some mobile
networks charged for freephone calls) businesses felt disadvantaged
using a freephone code other that 0800. However, the funding of
such a campaign remained a problem.
5.9 Concern
was expressed that branding of the 0800 range as a marketing range
would be diluted, and capacity exhausted, if 0800 numbers were not
confined to specific marketing purposes. Oftel was sympathetic,
but emphasised that it was extremely difficult for Oftel to regulate
the offering of specific services on number ranges and any enforcement
action would be heavy-handed and not proportional to the problem.
Industry self-regulation was suggested, with the possibility of
the DMA and Oftel working with the industry to produce a Code of
Practice.
5.10 Oftel introduced
the issue of over-dialling – the addition of digits to the
telephone number for presentation purposes. Concern was expressed
by the Freephone User Group that certain mobile networks failed
calls if too many digits were dialled, thus failing calls using
extra digits for presentation. Oftel felt that mobile networks could
make changes to the maximum number of diallable digits and encouraged
the matter to be raised with NICC. Oftel informed the meeting that
it did not instruct operators on the operation of their network.
Agenda item
6 - Next steps
6.1 Oftel announced
that the minutes of the meeting would be published on the Oftel
web-site. A second Freephone Commercial Group meeting would be arranged
to discuss the draft Cost Benefit Analysis study, due in late September/early
October. The Freephone Commercial Group findings, the NICC recommendations
and the Cost Benefit Analysis would be presented at a Freephone
Workshop later in the year. An invitation to attend the workshop
would be posted on the web-site.
Agenda
item 7 - Any other business
7.1 A final Q&A
session established that:
- The NAO would
allocate numbers in a shorter timescale than the current 28 days,
but details had not yet been determined. The USA allocated numbers
in real time.
- A minimum
usage level had not been established but the rental fee should
reduce hoarding of numbers.
- The recent
pattern of allocation of 0800 number blocks by Oftel had been
to new entrants. Oftel informed the meeting that it predicted
the 0800 capacity to last until around March 2000.
7.2 Concern
was expressed that PRS services were being offered on London geographic
ranges. Oftel reassured the meeting that this was not the case,
and that payment for the services was not via the telephone bill
but by a post-call billing system that was being investigated by
Trading Standards.
7.3 Peter Walker
thanked the group for an interesting and productive meeting.
(If you have
any queries or comments to make on the minutes above, please send
them to Maura Crawford or fax them on 0171 634
8784).
Background
Document
Freephone
Capacity
There
are currently freephone numbers in the following ranges – 0500,
0800 and 0808. In the National Numbering Scheme established in 1997,
080 was designated as the Freephone range of the future.
Numbers
are allocated by Oftel in blocks to licensed operators. Each individual
block can only be allocated to one operator.
Cable
and Wireless currently hold all the 0500 blocks of numbers. These
numbers have been provided to users in 6-digit form. No new 0500
numbers are being provided.
There
are 1000 blocks of 0800 numbers. 840 of these blocks are allocated
to BT in 6-digit form; 140 are allocated to all operators in 7-digit
form, which leaves 20, 7-digit blocks currently unallocated. The
840 BT blocks are currently frozen with no further numbers being
made available to users. This is due to the competitive advantage
that BT would possess if it were allowed to continue to provide
the shorter 6-digit numbers to users.
There
are 1000 blocks of 0808 numbers – all in 7-digit form. 100
blocks have been allocated to Vodafone for migration of their 0321
numbers. 50 other blocks have been allocated to all operators, leaving
850 unallocated.
July
1998 consultations
In
July 1998 Oftel published two consultation documents. Freephone
numbers: Options for the future and Developing Numbering Administration.
The former document identified 7 options for dealing with the exhaustion
of 0800 blocks of numbers. Oftel identified a preferred option that
would have created 10 million 7-digit 0800 freephone numbers. This
would have required a change to all 6-digit numbers. Responses to
the consultation revealed a strong desire from those organisations
with 0800 6-digit numbers to retain their existing number. The latter
document opened the debate for considering charging for numbers
and the allocation of individual numbers directly to users.
Post
Consultation review
In
the light of the responses to the freephone consultation, at the
Trade and Industry Select Committee hearing into telephone numbering
in January 1999, the Director General of Oftel committed to carry
out a cost-benefit analysis into freephone numbering for use in
developing the policy further. In March Oftel also commissioned
the Network Interoperability Consultative Committee (‘NICC’)
to consider the technical feasibility of retaining 6-digit 0800
numbers alongside the newer 7-digit numbers.
May
1999 Statement
This
statement set out the proposed timetable of work for freephone numbering
and also concluded that number charging and direct allocation should
be introduced, with a target implementation date of 2002. Oftel
is establishing working groups to consider such issues as charging
methods and rules governing the use of numbers.
NICC
Report
The
NICC established the Freephone Task Group to consider these technical
issues. This group included representation of users. It has now
reported, highlighting several options that would allow the continuing
use of 6-digit 0800 numbers and also increase the available capacity
in 0800. It recommended two options that could be introduced relatively
quickly. These are pre-allocation porting and further digit analysis
of number blocks.
PAP
is developed by the Telecommunications industry in response
to customer demand for effective porting of non-geographic numbers.
The
current method of issuing blocks of 10,00 non-geographic numbers
to a range holder leads to limited utilisation of the block.
Un-utilised numbers may be attractive to customers of operators
and service providers other than the range holder.
PAP
is being developed in two stages, both of which relate to the
reservation of unallocated numbers prior to activation. The
first stage will be a manual (fax-based) process which will
enable network operators to interrogate range holders and to
reserve for their own customers numbers which have not been
allocated by the range holder. Phase 1 PAP will be delivered
by November 99.
The
second stage will augment Phase 1 by using a web-based solution
which will hold details of all unallocated numbers downloaded
from range holders databases, so that the available numbers
can be scanned to select those appropriate for porting. It is
unlikely that a fully functional system could be delivered prior
to the second quarter 2000.
For
historical reasons, BT have a large number of blocks of 0800
numbers in 6-digit form. There are some blocks in which BT has
only a handful of customers. If operators could analyse an extra
digit for routing some of these blocks could be returned to
Oftel for re-allocation, in 7-digit form, providing potentially
3.75 million new numbers.
Cost-benefit
analysis
Oftel
has commissioned OVUM to carry out the cost-benefit analysis. OVUM
will initially establish a framework of the economic implications
of number shortages and then apply this framework to freephone numbers.
The final report is due in mid-October.
Commercial
Group
From
discussion with users it became apparent to Oftel that there were
specific commercial issues that required consideration in the use
of freephone numbers. The purpose of today’s meeting will be
to consider and discuss these issues as well as the implication
of the NICC recommendations.
Policy
Development
Oftel
will use the results of CBA, the NICC study and the commercial group
to consider the way forward for freephone numbering. A further short
consultation is likely later in the year.
Developing
Numbering Administration - Slides (presented
at the meeting).
Click
here to view slide presentation.
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