Ref: 13/03
Date: 28 March 2003

Businesses would be able to make greater use of their telecoms services under a new 055 corporate number range proposed today by Oftel.

The new numbers would primarily be of interest to businesses with their own private networks, and would give them greater flexibility and control of how their voice, data and mobile calls are managed.

It would allow them, for example, to have a common set of numbers for all their employees, even if working at different locations and whether they were on fixed lines or mobiles. And it would mean that companies would not need to change their numbers when they moved location.

David Edmonds, Director General of Telecommunications, said today:

"Telecoms services are constantly developing and Oftel’s new corporate number range will help companies to use advanced services to boost their business.

"Some operators are already looking to launch advanced multimedia services on 055 numbers. There are a few outstanding issues to be resolved before the corporate numbering range can be fully introduced and I look forward to receiving views from potential business users, the telecoms industry and other interested parties."

The consultation will run alongside workshops aimed at discussing the implementation of the corporate numbering service, with a statement expected later this year.

Notes to Editors

1. Corporate Numbering: a new option for businesses is available on Oftel's website at www.oftel.gov.uk/publications/numbering/2003/05nums0303.htm. Hard copies are available to the media from Oftel's Press Office, telephone 020 7634 8991, and to the public from Oftel's Research and Information Unit, telephone 020 7634 8761.

2. Following consultation in 1997, Oftel announced that there appeared to be a latent demand for corporate numbering and concluded that the 05 range should be set aside whilst Oftel assessed the service’s potential.

3. Over the past year or so, Oftel has examined the level of demand and believes there is a reasonable prospect of corporate numbering being a viable service. The consultation will examine whether the proposed service would help achieve ‘effective competition – benefiting consumers’ and responses will help Oftel to establish a regulatory framework within which the service may flourish.

4. A major difference between the proposed corporate numbering service and existing number ranges is Oftel’s proposal to increase businesses’ ownership and control of numbering capacity through the direct allocation of blocks of numbers to non-communications providers, eg businesses (which would be possible on the basis of the current draft of the Communications Bill).