Accounting separation – The preparation of separate accounts for different businesses and parts of businesses run by the same company or group of companies, so that the costs and revenues associated with each business and part of a business (and transfers between them) can be separately identified and properly allocated.
AVTD – Amending Voice Telephony Directive (proposed) – will replace the Voice Telephony Directive.
Barrier to entry – An additional cost which must be borne by entrants but not by firms already in the industry; or other factor, which enables an incumbent to maintain prices above the competitive level without inducing entry.
BT Resellers' Licence – The copyright licence BT issues for use of its Phone Base product to service providers and independent service providers using Phone Base to provide a service to end customers.
Call completion – A directory enquiry service which directly connects the enquirer to the number they seek. A call completion service without number disclosure directly connects the enquirer without revealing the number.
Classified business directories – Business directories which comprise directory information listings and advertisements paid for by those businesses which are ordered into classifications by type of business.
CLI – Calling line identification – Information generated by a network which identifies and relates to the telecommunications service of an originating call.
Condition 13 _ Condition 13 of BT's licence relating to the supply and pricing of Standard Services for interconnection.
Core database _ Term to describe a database which includes aggregated directory information from different telecommunications companies.
Cross subsidy _ The financing of losses made in one market by (supernormal) profits made in another.
Customer premises equipment _ Equipment connected on the customer's side of telecommunications network boundary for which the customer is responsible.
DAS – Directory Assistance System – BT's product database which is used to provide operator assisted directory enquiry services. It comprises a database and "search engine".
DTI – The Department of Trade and Industry.
DPA – Data Protection Act 1984.
DPD – Data Protection Directive 1995.
DPR – Data Protection Registrar – an independent officer who is appointed by Her Majesty the Queen and reports directly to Parliament.
Data Protection Register – A register held by the Data Protection Registrar of data users who hold personal data and computer bureaux who provide services in respect of personal data which is open to public inspection. Every data user who holds personal data must, unless all the data are exempt, apply for registration.
Data Protection Principles – The eight Principles in the Data Protection Act 1984 which set out rules which data users must comply with in the use of personal data. The Principles protect the rights of individuals rather than the users of their personal data.
Data user – Definition used in Data Protection Act 1984 to mean a person or organisation which controls the content and use of a collection of personal data.
DIEL – Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for Disabled and Elderly People.
DMA – Direct Marketing Association.
Director General – The Director General of Telecommunications.
Directory enquiry service (DQ) – Directory information service which is operator assisted and involves the operator looking up entries on a database.
Directory information – Categories of information including name, telecommunications number, address (it does not have to be a full address) customer type (business or residential), directory status and type of number (fixed, mobile, fax etc) which are collected from customers to provide telecommunications directories and/or directory information services.
Directory information product – Printed directories or directories in machine readable media, eg CD-ROMs, which are designed to facilitate use of the telecommunications system.
Directory information service – Service providing directory information by means of a telecommunications system which facilitates the use of that telecommunications system.
Directory status – A classification agreed with the customer denoting which services and products their information may and may not be used for.
Dominant – A firm that is able to act independently of competitors and customers. A dominant firm will have market power but market power does not necessarily imply dominance.
DQR – A directory status classification whereby the customer's directory information is available from directory enquiry services but is not included in the phone book.
Economies of scope – These are present where the unit cost of a service is lower because the firm also provides other services, ie the provision of service B reduces the unit cost of supplying service.
Enhanced services – These are services conveyed by means of a telecommunication network which include some function over and above basic network services and are readily capable of being carried out by an independent service provider.
ECTRA – European Committee of Telecommunications Regulatory Affairs.
Ex-directory – A directory status classification whereby the customer's directory information is not available from any directory information services or products.
Fair Trading Condition (FTC) – The Fair Trading Condition is modelled on Articles 85 and 86 of the EC Treaty and prohibits the abuse of a dominant market position and agreements which restrict or distort competition.
FPS – Fax Preference Service – A service established by the Direct Marketing Association to help reduce the chances of customers receiving unsolicited advertising communications via fax. It operates along similar lines to the Telephone Preference Service.
Fully allocated cost (FAC) – An accounting approach under which all the costs of the company are distributed between its various products and services. The fully allocated cost of a product or service may therefore include some common costs that are not directly attributable to the service.
Incremental costs – The capital and operating costs that arise as a result of the provision of the "increment". In contrast to fully allocated costs, the incremental costs include only those costs that are caused by the provision of the increment. So long as revenue exceeds incremental costs, the company increases its value by providing the increment.
Independent Service Provider – Entities which provide telecommunications services, or services with a telecommunication service component, to the public at large but do not own or operate telecommunications networks. For the purposes of this document some independent service providers may not use telecommunication networks eg they may be publishers of printed directories.
Interconnection – The connection of separate telecommunications networks.
International Directory Inquiry Service (IDIS) – A group of overseas operators who cooperate to provide international directory enquiry services to their customers by allowing member operators to access their directory databases on-line. At the European level this takes place through the European International Directory Enquiry Group (EIDQ).
Kingston – Kingston Communications Limited (KC).
Long run incremental costs (LRIC) – See incremental costs.
Machine readable media – A medium that can be read by a machine eg CD-ROMs, computer tapes.
Market power – The ability to raise prices above the competitive level for a non-transitory period. See also dominant.
Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC).
National Numbering Scheme – A scheme for the allocation and re-allocation of numbers which is specified by the Director General and made available by him for public inspection.
Network Interoperability Consultative Committee (NICC) – A committee set up to advise the Director General on interoperability issues and for the industry to provide guidance to standards bodies on such issues.
Office of Fair Trading (OFT).
Other licensed operators (OLO) – Companies, other than BT, which operate telecommunications systems.
Operator Services Information System (OSIS) – A core database run by BT which holds directory information on all BT's customers and customers of other licenced operators. OSIS is used for product databases, eg DAS, and to produce other directory information services and products.
Parallel running – When both the old and the new numbering arrangements run alongside each other leading up to an actual number change. It allows customers a transition period to get used to the new arrangements.
Pathfinder – The BT product database and search engine which will replace DAS and be used to provide an operator assisted directory enquiry service.
Personal data – Definition used in Data Protection Act 1984 to mean information recorded on computer about living identifiable individuals. Directory information on residential customers and some business customers (partnerships and sole traders) is personal data.
Phone Base – BT's product database which provides an on-line directory information service. Customers access it using a computer and modem.
Phone Disc – BT's directory CD-ROM product which contains residential and business directory information on all customers listed in phone books.
Personal identification number (PIN).
Premium rate service (PRS) – Services, including recorded information and live conversation, run by independent service providers. All calls to these companies are charged at a higher rate than ordinary calls to cover the companies' costs in providing the content of the call and the operator's cost for the special network facilities needed.
Product database – Term to describe databases which are produced by downloading directory information from core databases and manipulating that information so that it is suitable for various types of interrogation. DAS is an example of a product database.
Price signals – The information about demand, costs, quality etc, contained in relative prices or changes in relative prices.
Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) – The telecommunications networks of the major operators, on which calls can be made to all customers of the PSTN.
Public Telecommunications Operator (PTO) – Network operators with powers granted by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry under the Telecommunications Act 1984 to enable them to install their systems on public and private land, property etc.
Raw directory information – This term is used to describe the directory information that each telecommunications company collects on its customers. It is distinct from directory information aggregated from several telecommunications companies which is supplied from core databases.
Relevant Numbering Condition – Condition 34B of BT's licence and the equivalent condition in those of other operators.
Retail price index (RPI).
Reverse search directory – Such a directory would enable searches by telephone number and/or address.
Service provider – Entity which owns a telecommunications transmission network and provides telecommunications services, or services with a telecommunication service component, to the public at large whether over its own network or otherwise.
Stand alone costs – The costs to a single product firm of providing a service. The stand-alone costs of a service exceed the incremental costs to a multi-product firm if there are economies of scope.
Standard Service – An interconnection service which BT is required to provide under Condition 13 of its licence. The list of Standard Services includes access to DAS, wholesale directory enquiry services and provision of phone books.
Supplemental Services Business (SSB)* – Currently defined in BT's licence by reference to the 1987 Value Added and Data Services Class Licence. In essence, and under the current definition, it means that part of BT's business that provides all telecommunication services or enhanced services except "live speech and telex" (which are in BT's Systems Business).
Systems Business (SB)* – Currently defined in BT's licence as being, essentially, that part of BT's business involving the installation, running and maintenance of its network and the conveyance of live speech and telex messages, as distinct from the Supplemental Services Business.
*NB. Oftel is proposing to modify the definitions of BT's SSB and SB (see February 1997 Oftel Statement on Promoting Competition in Services over Telecommunication Networks for proposals).
Telephone Preference Service (TPS) – A service established by the Direct Marketing Association to help reduce the number of unwanted telemarketing calls received by customers. Customers contact their telephone company to join and their details are then removed from lists used by many companies engaged in telemarketing.
Textphone – A device used by hearing and speech impaired people to communicate over networks in typed text rather than speech.
Transfer Charges – The charges made by one part of a firm for services provided to another part (eg BT Network to BT Retail).
Vertical Integration – The control by a single firm of successive stages in production or distribution eg BT owns local loop and long-distance network infrastructure and supplies telecoms services over it.
VTD – Voice Telephony Directive.
The proposed Amending Voice Telephony Directive will replace this.
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