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October 1999
Oftel's Numbering
Unit publishes Numbering Bulletins which are available on the Oftel
website. Previous Numbering
Bulletins are also available.
Contents:
SPECIFIED
NUMBERING SCHEME
The full listing of the Specified Numbering Scheme can be down loaded
from the Oftel Numbering website. The information may also be found
in a readily accessible form on the Warwick University pages.
Oftel WEB SITE MAILING
LIST
Oftel has a free e-mail based mailing list to help people stay informed
about the work that Oftel is doing. When an Oftel document is published
and placed on Oftel’s web site, subscribers to the list receive
an e-mail informing them about the document. If you would like to
join then please use the electronic form on the Oftel web site to
add yourself to the list.
NATIONAL CODE AND NUMBER CHANGE ACTIVITIES
Parallel Running Starting 30
September 1999
Parallel Running for the new (076) pager
ranges and (077) to (079) mobile
ranges started on 30 September 1999. The old codes will continue
to be functional until 28 April 2001.
Framework
Document
The current Oftel
Framework Document was issued on 10 November 1999, and includes
further detail on PRS and mobile and pager ranges.
GEOGRAPHIC NUMBER RANGES
Issue
of 02x-overlay capacity
These are numbers that do not exist in the old 01 codes. Oftel policy
is not to issue these ranges until justified, i.e. when the supply
of equivalent numbers in the old 01-code ranges is exhausted. Analysis
of the last audit suggests that, with the exception of the 0171
code currently used in Inner London, it is unlikely that these numbers
will be needed before the end of parallel running, in autumn 2000.
In the case
of Inner London, Oftel has modified allocation procedures, to ensure
that remaining capacity is only allocated when actually required
to be used prior to 22nd April 2000. To facilitate this,
the Reservation procedure as defined in the Numbering Conventions
has been suspended until we have more visibility of the exhaustion
date of the existing 0171 ranges. Operators are advised that
early application for the new Overlay ranges will not guarantee
priority.
F Digit Use in Number
Blocks in Conservation Areas
To optimise the future return from these changes, Oftel
is now allocating blocks in Conservation Areas with a condition
that use is limited to specific F digits. In the short term,
the entire 10K block will be allocated to the operator with the
proviso that from 31 December 2000, the unused F-digits will return
to a pool, available for all Operators.
Full
National Dialling Ranges
Oftel allocates 'full national dialled' blocks to operators
for services where the customer does not generally dial the number
(e.g. 01202 0X & 1X, 0113 0X & 1X, etc.). Typical applications
are resilience/dual parenting, number translation services, internet
access and calling card-type services.
Oftel has been
advised that, owing to network and technical constraints there are
some limitations on the use of local numbers starting with '0'.
These limitations may effect 02X blocks that have been allocated
for migration of 'full national dialled' blocks in the
National Code and Number Change (NCNC) areas.
In light of
this, Oftel has changed some of the migration ranges for 'full national
dialled' blocks in the NCNC areas. The migration ranges are
now as follows:
Old
'Full National
Dialled' Range New
Range Migration
& Recovery by
0171 0XX
020 01XX
14 October 2000
0171 1XX
020 11XX
14 October 2000
0181 0XX
020 00XX
14 October 2000
0181 1XX
020 10XX
14 October 2000
01703 00-19
023 1100-1119 2 September 2000
01705 00-19
023 1000-1019 2 September 2000
01203 00-19
024 1000-1019 19 August 2000
01222 00-19
029 1000-1019 5 August 2000
01232 00-19
028 1000-1019 16 September 2000.
Oftel has allocated
blocks in the new ranges to the Operators concerned, and has withdrawn
the old ranges that do not correspond with the migration ranges
above.
Also, to ensure
that use of the resource is optimised Oftel has developed an internal
procedure for allocation of new 'full national dialled' blocks.
Oftel will allocate capacity starting with '0' unless evidence is
supplied confirming that the use of 1X is essential.
09X RANGES
Prohibition
on Marketing of Non 090 Premium Rate Numbers
As from 1 July 1999, premium rate numbers in non 090 sub-ranges
must not be actively marketed.
Licensed operators
that have been allocated, and service providers that have been sub-allocated,
non 090 premium rate numbers must observe Numbering Convention B9.5
which states that "service providers using premium rate numbers
outside the 090 sub-range must cease to market these numbers actively
from July 1999". This Convention has been in force since April
1997.
Licensed operators
that sub-allocate numbers to service providers will be aware that
Numbering Convention A8.1 states that any sub-allocation of numbers
must be controlled by the original applicant. This does not however
prevent the recipient making sub-allocation to others from within
the numbering range provided that the sub-allocation is for the
use specified in the application and in line with the Conventions.
In light of
the above, operators may wish to remind any service provider to
whom they have sub-allocated non 090 premium rate numbers of the
obligations that operators are under, and that active marketing
of non 090 premium rate numbers is now prohibited.
Designation
and Opening for Allocation of 0905 PRS Sub-Range
Capacity available for allocation in the 0906 sub-range, designated
as ‘PRS open ended time dependent charge or fixed fee’,
has reached virtual exhaustion. In order to ensure capacity is available
to meet future applications for numbering capacity, on 23 August
1999 Oftel opened the 0905 sub-range with the same designation.
The 0905 sub-range was previously designated for PRS expansion.
In order to
reduce the risk of mis-dials to numbers in the 01905 Worcester range,
only the C-digits ‘0’ and ‘1’ are to be used
until the risk of mis-dials to D-digits in use in the geographic
range has been assessed. Operators will be kept informed of changes
to the availability of numbers in the 0905 sub-range.
Oftel is investigating
routing on the F-digit, which would allow allocation of capacity
in blocks of 1,000 numbers, and tariff discrimination on the E-digit,
which would allow tariffing at the 10,000 number level. Until these
issues are resolved, Oftel will continue to allocate PRS capacity
to operators in blocks of 10,000 numbers. However, in order to conserve
capacity, a condition of allocation will be that operators utilise
one F-digit at a time, protecting the remaining F-digits until issues
surrounding F-digit discrimination for routing and E-digit discrimination
for tariffing are resolved. The unused F-digits would then be withdrawn
and re-allocated to other operators requiring an allocation at the
tariff set for the block.
PRS Non-Content Services on the
091 Range
Numbering Convention B9.3 states that the number range
091 will be used for non-content premium rate services. It
is, therefore, the most appropriate range for services: a)
that are charged above national rate; b) where the payment
for the call covers only the conveyance of the call (i.e. the payment
for the call does not incorporate a payment to a service provider
for the content of the call); and c) which are not 'find me
anywhere' services. Operators offering services which meet
the above criteria, and which do not depart from established tariff
and interconnect charging mechanisms, should consider applying for
numbering capacity in this range.
ANNUAL AUDIT 1999
Annual Audit 1999 forms will be disseminated, around early
December 1999, to all Operators/Service Providers who have allocations
of numbering capacity (Geographic, Non-Geographic, Mobile, Indirect
Access Codes, etc.) at 30 November 1999. The forms will be
sent to the numbering contact as specified on the A6.2 Contact List.
Operators should therefore ensure that their respective numbering
contact details on the A6.2 list are up-to-date. Operators
should also ensure that they have the data available to complete
the Audit forms, and return them to Oftel's Numbering Unit by 31
January 2000.
Operators are
reminded that their licence requires them to furnish information
to the Director. Non-return of Audit information may constitute
a breach of licence. In the absence of Audit Returns, Oftel
will not make further allocations and will start the process of
withdrawing existing allocations (including Indirect Access Codes).
Advance notice
is given that Oftel will be seeking rolling forecasts for numbering
capacity required in conservation areas in those ranges defined
as 'Full National Dialling' only, i.e. numbers in the range 01XXX
00 to 19.
NUMBERING FORUM
The first Numbering Forum was held on 8 October 1999 to
discuss a range of numbering issues. Details of the agenda,
associated papers and minutes can be found on the Numbering
Forum - 1st Meeting page. The next Numbering Forum will be held
at Oftel around February 2000, and is open to anyone who can contribute
to numbering issues - details to be published on the website.
NATIONAL
AND INTERNATIONAL SIGNALLING POINT CODES
Oftel has taken over the administration of both National
and International Signalling Point Codes from BT. Operators
requiring allocations of these codes need to complete the appropriate
application form (available from Oftel's Numbering Unit).
NUMBER PORTABILITY
From 1 January 2000 the UK’s implementation of the number portability
requirements of the Numbering Directive (98/61/EC) will introduce
a new regulatory regime for number portability. From this
date telephone companies cannot refuse to allow customers to keep
their telephone number when they change their supplier of fixed
telecommunication services.
Customers will
be able, if they wish, to keep their telephone numbers when they
change the operator providing their fixed telecommunications
services i.e. telephone services using Geographic numbers (ordinary
telephone numbers of subscribers at a fixed geographic location
e.g. numbers beginning 01 or 02 and services using non-geographic
numbers e.g. Freephone numbers (080), Local and National Rate Numbers
(0845 and 0870) and Premium Rate numbers (090)). Only those customers
that remain at the same address will be able to change operator
and keep their Geographic number under this new portability
regime. Mobile and Paging numbers are not covered by the Directive.
Numbers for mobile services are however, already portable between
mobile operators in the United Kingdom.
INBOUND ROUTING CODES
Oftel has designated the 0899 range for internal routing purposes.
Operators currently using alternative codes from the Specified Numbering
Scheme for inbound routing should apply for a block of 0899 inbound
routing codes and furnish Oftel with migration plans.
Details of the
0899 range are as follows:
- The number
length is set at 10 digits and numbers will be allocated in blocks
of 100,000;
- Operators
will use the digits following 0899XX to identify service, carrier
and customer;
- Operators
will be expected to use a structure that will utilise the numbers
effectively;
- Oftel expects
to allocate only one inbound routing code to each operator;
- Oftel proposes
to allocate from 08999 9 downward for inbound routing, with a
provisional limit set at 08993 0;
- Operators
may use codes 08990 to 08992 for internal routing purposes. There
is no need to apply to Oftel for use of the internal routing sub-ranges;
- The need
for further routing codes will be addressed as and when necessary.
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