that in future, such enquiries will be referred to the Internet
pages.
No. 26.... July/August 1996
Issued by the Oftel Numbering Unit
50 Ludgate Hill, London, EC4M 7JJ
Enquiries - Telephone: 0171 634 8758; Fax: 0171 634 8943
Numbering Bulletins are published monthly by the Oftel Numbering Unit.
Issued by the Oftel Numbering Unit
50 Ludgate Hill, London, EC4M 7JJ
Enquiries - Telephone: 0171 634 8758; Fax: 0171 634 8943
Oftel has published its consultative document on the National Numbering Scheme. The document is a further stage in the Review of the Numbering Scheme launched last October and required by Numbering Convention A12. It follows the rejection by the industry and consumer groups of the "least change" option for geographic numbers which Oftel put forward last year. Since then Oftel has worked closely with the Numbering Advisory Group to evolve the numbering strategy outlined in the document.
The consultation runs until 18 October; Oftel will publish its conclusions in December. The document is available on Oftel's Web pages at the above address and copies can be obtained directly from Oftel's Library (0171 634 8764/8765).
Assessing Demand
In order to determine the likely future demand for numbers, which services will drive the demand, how much additional capacity will be required and when, Oftel commissioned an independent study by Coopers & Lybrand into future demand for capacity in the UK Numbering Scheme over the next fifteen years. Coopers carried out their work between December 1995 and March 1996 and evaluated three scenarios:
The results of the Coopers' study for future year-on-year demand for geographic numbers were as follows:
Estimated need for new numbers per year
base case 1.5 million
higher case between 3 and 4 million
peak case 6 million in 10 years' time.
The main drivers of demand identified were:
When this demand is assigned to area codes, taking account of the constraints of the existing geographical distribution of numbers and the resultant poor utilisation, the amount of codes - out of a total of around 600 - that could need more numbers over the next fifteen years is estimated as follows:
Number of area codes that could exhaust by 2012
base case less than 20
higher case between 20 and 30
peak demand over 30
Taking account of the results of this study and forecasts from network operators, Oftel has been able to produce a list of code areas where there can be a realistic expectation of exhaustion over the next 15 years or so if no action is taken.
2000 By 2005 By 2012
01222 Cardiff
01232 Belfast 01202 Bournemouth 01204 Bolton
01703 Southampton 01203 Coventry 01344 Ascot
01705 Portsmouth 01223 Cambridge 01582 Markyate
0171 Inner London 01224 Aberdeen 01604 Northampton
0181 Outer London 01273 Brighton 01706 Rochdale
01274 Bradford 01733 Peterborough
01332 Derby 01753 Iver
01483 Guildford
01642 Middlesbrough
01772 Preston
01782 Stoke-on-Trent
01865 Oxford
01902 Wolverhampton
01942 Wigan
For mobile services, the current growth rate for new numbers already exceeds that for fixed geographic numbers. Forecasts vary, but as prices generally come down and innovative pricing packages are directed at more market segments, there could be a 300% increase in demand for mobile numbers over the next 15 years.
Estimated annual demand by 2012
base case 1 million
higher case 3 million
peak case 5 million
Demand for numbers for specially tariffed services (such as freephone, local- and national-rate) is expected to rise significantly over the next decade. Businesses increasingly use these services for marketing purpose and demand levels have high growth potential. Estimates of demand are difficult because many of these services are still in their early stages of growth but annual demand for new numbers could reach half a million within the next 15 years.
Geographic Numbering Proposals
For geographic numbers Oftel is proposing that, when 01 areas exhaust, 02 short codes are used for code changes (rather than "overlays" which were proposed and rejected last year). This would follow the approach adopted in Bristol, Leeds and three other areas at PhONEday and Reading subsequently. Oftel is also proposing that when an area changes in this way an extension of the area boundary is considered, with local consultation, to provide customers with a wider local dialling area. For Belfast, Cardiff, London, Portsmouth and Southampton Oftel is proposing code changes in the year 2000:
AREA CODE NEW CODE CODE CHANGE ASSOCIATED
CODES NOW DATE ISSUES
London 0171 020 2000 one code or two; 8-digit local
numbers: 7 added to Inner London ,
0181 020 or 022 2000 8 to Outer London local numbers
Cardiff 01222 0282 2000 extended area to include Barry,
Pontypridd, Pontypool and Newport?
Southampton 01703 0233 2000 extended area to include Lymington,
Romsey, West Fareham and Winchester
?
Portsmouth 01705 0235 2000 extended area to include
Chichester, East Fareham amd
Petersfield?
Belfast 01232 0292 2000 extended area to includeAntrim,
Ballyclare, Bangor, Lisburn, and
Saintfield? Or a single code 029
for Northern Ireland?
Business Numbering Proposals
Oftel is proposing the introduction of a business numbering range using 05 numbers. Use of the range would be voluntary but Oftel believes that it could be attractive for large national or regional businesses by providing greater "ownership" of their numbers, a business identifier, increased stability away from the geographic range and an opportunity to integrate their internal corporate numbering plan with the public numbering plan. If the range proved attractive, it could remove significant amounts of demand from 01/02. Oftel's demand study estimates that over a 15 year period this could delay or avoid a change in 10 to 15 places which otherwise may need a code change.
Under Oftel's proposals, a company or public body who wished to use the range would have a single code, for example 05432, followed by the direct dial extension of employees which they would use regardless of the geographic locations of their offices. Employees could keep their number if they moved to other offices in the company. The range would not be subject to the code changes which take place to meet demand for geographic numbers. It is likely that the range would be used mainly by large corporate users who have multiple sites and a substantial private network with multiple points of ingress. Calls would enter via the closest access point to the caller and once in the network would be routed according to the rules agreed for that network. Just as large private networks optimise their outgoing calls by routing them over their private network before breaking out onto the public network, so the proposed scheme would allow a company to decide how, and from which telephone company, to accept its incoming traffic.
Because the introduction of a new business range would be a significant new development, Oftel intends to carry out further study on its implications and possible introduction. One of the important element of the study could be to ensure clarity of tariffing for callers. Oftel's initial preference is for fixed tariffing for the range: either a single per minute charge, possibly local-rate, for the entire 05 range or two charges within distinct bands based on standard tariffs- say 050 to 054 for tariff up to geographic local-rate and 055 to 059 for up to geographic national-rate. This study would also need to look at the rules for the minimum and maximum allocation sizes and the allocation of golden numbers that might apply. If the response to the principle of a corporate numbering range is positive, then Oftel intends to establish a joint industry/user Study Team to review options and make detailed proposals by March 1997.
Mobile Paging and Personal Numbering Services
Currently mobile services are spread across a number of codes - beginning 03, 04, 05 , 08 and 09. Oftel's proposal is to rationalise this by moving all existing numbers to the 07 range - together with personal numbering and paging services - by 2001. In proposing this date, Oftel has sought to balance the demand from customers for a more meaningful numbering structure with the need to minimise disruption to existing mobile and paging customers. Under the proposals, 07 will be established as a "Find Me Anywhere" Range where callers know that they have a good chance of getting a call through to the person being called. Oftel is seeking views on the division of 07 into two or more tariff bands. In addition, Oftel is proposing that portability is introduced for all 07 services.
Special Service: Freephone, Local-rate, National rate
Oftel proposes that the 08 range should be used for specially tariffed services up to a set value without a content element. Oftel's aim is for these numbers to be used, within each category of number, on a fully portable basis and intends to move as soon as possible to a position where allocations of numbers can be made to end-users who then seek service connection from the operator of their choice. However, as an interim step, the industry is in the process of agreeing the means by which basic inter-operator portability (using a technical arrangement known as "data-decode") could be introduced earlier, following the model adopted for geographic numbers.
For freephone services, Oftel believes that inter-operator portability should be made available in the 0800, 0500 and other freephone ranges early in 1997. When full 0800 7-digit single number allocation becomes available - possibly during 1998 - it is very important that arrangements are put in place to minimise disruption to customers and to facilitate a fair and equitable migration to the new numbers. Oftel intends therefore, as a matter of urgency, to put in train work to establish the rules by which full freephone number portability should be achieved. This will include the establishing of rules on the continuation of numbers in non-specified ranges, the continuation of 6-digit 0800 numbers and on the treatment of 'duplicate' numbers (eg 0500 600 600 and 0800 600 600).
For local-rate and national-rate services, Oftel proposes that the 08 codes are used by all operators. The codes 0845 and 0870 are currently designated for local-rate and national-rate services respectively. Since few numbers are currently in use in these codes, it would be possible to use other codes - 0811 and 0880 have been suggested. Oftel believes that numbers in these ranges should be portable using the interim data-decode method as soon as this is practicable (which Oftel expects by early 1997). As required by the current Numbering Conventions, once operators are able to use these ranges with 7-digit numbers (eleven-dialled digits), they should not allocate any further numbers in non-specified ranges for these services. Oftel's intent would be to establish full number portability on these ranges with individual allocations to end users by 1999 at the latest.
Premium Rate Services
Oftel is proposing that premium-rate services with a content element use the 09 range, with 090 used for these services with 091 in reserve for future use. This will provide callers with a clear indication of the type of service and tariff and will bring the UK into line with numbering schemes in Europe and internationally. Premium Rate Services for this purpose are defined as telecoms services charged at a higher than standard rate where there is an information or entertainment content element and where the revenue from the service is shared between a network operator and a third party service provider.
Oftel recently carried out consumer research into premium rate service numbering. This revealed a strong preference to move premium rate services out of the 08 range onto 09 numbers. In the survey 67% of respondents were in favour of a move to 09. There is also a significant demand for premium rate service numbers to be structured in a way that gives customers more information about the likely cost of the service. This would amongst other things allow them to bar access to content services above a certain cost from their household's line. In the survey 59% of respondents would prefer to have a structure based on cost; only 16% favoured a structure based on services (such as separate codes for competition lines and adult services).
There may also be need for businesses to be able to provide access to specific content services such as computer helplines - perhaps only to some of their staff - while barring general access. To reflect this Oftel is proposing structuring the 090 range to give some basic tariff and service information:
0900 Overall call-cost no greater than £1
0902 Overall call-cost no greater than £5
0904 Overall call-costs may be greater than £5
0906 Calls to business services where the service provider requires
appropriate authorisation before access
0909 Shared revenue services above standard national tariff (no content)
092 to 099 will be reserved for multimedia content services.
Access Codes
To meet expected demand for access codes from operators and Independent Service Providers, Oftel is proposing that the length of access codes for certain services should be extended from 4 - to 5- or 6- digits.
Proposed New Numbering Scheme
01 Geographic Numbers
02 Geographic Numbers
03 Reserved for geographic expansion
04 Reserved for future use
05 Reserved for Corporate Numbers
06 Reserved for future use
07 Personal, Mobile and Paging Numbers
08 Specially Tariffed Service Numbers
09 Content Service Numbers
The Protected status of pre-PhONEday geographic codes will change to Free on 17 April 1997 when old capacity in the 9-digit Scheme becomes available for use in the new 10-digit 02 to 09 ranges. Operators can continue with Changed Number Announcements after that date and until the code is reserved or allocated for a new service. However, Oftel recognises that some operators may wish to reuse the announcement capacity prior to April 1997.
Having reviewed the volume of mis-dialled calls, which have now reached "normal" levels of below 1% of total calls, Oftel has concluded that operators may commence withdrawal of general PhONEday announcements from 31 December 1996; some consolidation of announcements may occur prior to this date. In view of a higher-than-average level of mis-dials to the former international access code 010, Oftel requests that these specific announcements remain in operation until at least April 1997 when Oftel will carry out a further review of 010 misdials. Oftel will be writing to operators on this issue during August.
The Numbering Unit now has its own direct Fax line which is: 0171 634 8784. Faxes can still be sent to the general Oftel fax line 0171 634 8943, but those in regular contact with the Numbering Unit may find the direct line in more convenient.
The next Numbering Bulletin will be published at the end of September. At the end of August the Annual Numbering Report will be issued and sent to all recipients of the Bulletin. The monthly update to the Numbering Scheme will appear on Internet at the end of August and September as normal.
The Numbering Unit is getting an increasing volume of calls from Operators and others requiring detail on allocations under the Specified Numbering Scheme. Callers are reminded that this information is readily available on the Internet in several places, either
that in future, such enquiries will be referred to the Internet
pages.
Oftel pages: http://www.open.gov.uk/oftel//).
Warwick University pages: http://www.warwick.ac.uk/WWW/search/Phones/oftel_cl.html
http://www.warwick.ac.uk/cgi-bin-Phones/nng
(note that the above URL addresses may be case sensitive)
Northampton 1604
The DE ranges 90 to 98 have been shown as Free, the intention is to Designate the DE range 3X for future migration, once its use by BT for 5 digit numbering ends in late 1997.
Recovery of capacity
To date the status 5 blocks in 0171, 7 blocks in 0181 and one in 01753 have been returned to Free following audit returns.
New code for 'higher rate' premium rate services
Following applications from operators for numbering capacity to accommodate new 'Higher Rate' PRS services, the code 0896 has been designated for Higher Premium Rate Services. 08960 to 08964 capacity is for services where the charge is £1 and over per minute and 08965 to 08969 capacity is for 'Single Drop Charge' services of £1 and over.
Changes made to the Scheme in the period May to July 1996 are shown in Annex 1 and summarised below, together with a summary of the changes made in July.
July May-July
Area Numbering Range Allocations 37 133
Reservations 11 14
Other Changes 24 81
Mobiles Numbering Range Allocations 0 0
Reservations 0 10
Other Changes 0 0
Personal Numbering Range Allocations 1 1
Reservations 0 0
Other Changes 0 0
Special Services Numbering Allocations 14 28
Range Reservations 4 4
Other Changes 146 227
Access Codes Allocations 4 7
Reservations 0 0
Other Changes 8 8
TOTAL 249 513