New service for textphone users

DIEL, the Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for Disabled and Elderly People, has welcomed a significant development in textphone communications which has taken almost four years to develop.

BT launched its new BT TextDirect service for textphone users in July. By dialling the new prefix 18001 before the telephone number of the person they wish to contact, textphone users can be connected immediately both to voice users and other textphone users.

Hearing users can make calls to a textphone user by first dialling 18002, and RNID Typetalk operators will be automatically brought into the call when required.

Ross Trotter, Secretary of the Telecommunications Action Group (TAG) for deaf, deafened, hard of hearing and deafblind people, and a member of DIEL, was actively involved in BT TextDirect user trials and played an important role in development of the service.

From October, fixed line and payphone operators will be obliged by their licences to allow their customers access to a relay service. Customers using textphones must be able to access the emergency services [guess that's what it is?], operator assistance and directory enquiries using short code numbers and must receive suitable call progress announcements. Interconnection with BT TextDirect will allow this to happen.

Although mobile operators are not currently under the same obligations, DIEL would like to see them interconnect with the service as soon as possible to allow mobile customers to call family, friends and colleagues who are textphone users and vice versa.

Communicating with disabled customers

Based on work by DIEL in partnership with Ricability, Oftel will shortly be publishing guidance to network operators to help them communicate effectively and successfully with disabled customers. The guidance will cover provisions on accessible bills, contracts and information contained in recent licence conditions and will encourage good practice, and will be a useful reference guide to all sectors of the industry. The guide will be available from Oftel's research and information unit (tel: 020 7634 8761, textphone: 020 7634 5370).

Educating consumers in Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Advisory Committee on Telecommunications (NIACT) has continued its work to increase awareness among Northern Ireland's consumers.

Recent NIACT press releases generated media appearances by John Stringer, NIACT Secretary, and NIACT Chairman, Courtenay Thompson as well as valuable press coverage.

As summer holidays drew nearer, NIACT led a campaign to remind consumers of the potential costs involved in using a mobile phone while abroad. Consumer complaints handled by NIACT indicate that many consumers are unaware of these costs. Roaming costs can pose a problem for people who live in border areas when they find their calls are picked up by mobile networks in the Irish Republic.

Another consumer education issue for NIACT has been to encourage consumers calling home while visiting the Republic of Ireland to use the new short dial code 048 from the Republic to the North. For example, someone wishing to call NIACT's office in Belfast from the Republic should dial 048 9024 4113 (rather than the international code 00 44 28 9024 4113).

Farewell

Consumer Communications for England (CCE) has said farewell to two of its members, Joyce Wood and John O'Reilly, who have resigned from the committee. Joyce Wood, a lawyer and telecommunications consultant, became a member of CCE in 1993 and John O'Reilly, Professor of Telecommunications at University College London was appointed in 1995. Both members played a valuable role advising the Director General and promoting the interests of telecommunications consumers in England.

For further information on the work of the ACTs, please contact the ACT Secretariat (tel: 020 7634 5301/e-mail: actsec@acts.org.uk).