Ref: 02/02
Date: 10 January 2002

Consumers can have greater confidence in the accuracy of their phone bills thanks to updated industry standards for metering and billing systems published today by Oftel.

This scheme sets out standards that apply to the equipment and processes that telecoms companies use to calculate their customers’ phone bills.

The scheme has been updated to take account of the greater choice of telecoms providers and the wide range of different services and tariffs that are now available to consumers, including discount schemes and special offers.

New measures introduced by the scheme include:

• a wider range of accuracy tests to take account of different ways of billing, for example, by volume of data, not just length and time of call;
• where more than one operator or service provider is involved in producing a customer’s telephone bill - for example, where a customer uses an indirect access operator - their systems must be compatible to produce an accurate and timely bill;
• charges for telecoms services must be made promptly and be included, for example, on the next quarterly bill.

David Edmonds, Director General of Telecommunications said today:

"Oftel’s scheme is of great importance if consumers are to have confidence that the bills they receive from their telephone company are accurate.

"With wider competition in the market, there are increasing numbers of tariffs and special offers available to consumers. Consumers are also taking advantage of a greater range of communications services such as Internet access, and text messaging.

"This means that billing for calls is increasingly complex with different ways of billing for different services. The scheme has been updated to ensure that customers do not lose out through less accurate telephone bills.

"Telecoms companies and service providers will have to meet the standards set out by the scheme, which gives consumers the assurance that they are being charged correctly for their telephone calls."

A number of approval bodies will be appointed by the Department of Trade and Industry to approve operators against the scheme.

Notes to Editors

1. Office of Telecommunications Standard for Telecommunictions Metering Systems and Billing systems 0TR003:2001 is available from Oftel’s website at www.oftel.gov.uk/publications/ind_guidelines/mbst0102.htm. The Metering Systems and Billing Systems Approval Scheme Guide is available from Oftel’s website at www.oftel.gov.uk/publications/ind_guidelines/mbsc0102.htm. Hard copies are available to the media from the Press Office, tel: 020 7634 8991 and to the public from the Research & Intelligence Unit on 020 7634 8761.

2. Operators and Service Providers will be progressively invited to submit their metering systems and billing systems for approval. Telecoms companies entering the scheme are expected to appraise their systems, establish a project plan to implement the requirements and thus achieve compliance, as validated by the Approval Body.

3. Approval Bodies are appointed by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

The Approval Bodies that are expected to be accredited for the revised scheme (OTR003: 2001) by UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) are the British Approvals Board for Telecommunications (BABT), The British Standards Institution (BSI) and National Quality Assurance Limited (NQA).

Operators approved under the original scheme (OTR003: 1993) which is operated solely by BABT will be expected to obtain approval under the revised scheme by 31 December 2003. Individual migration timetables and a plan will be established following consultation with each approved Operator.