Carrier pre-selection (CPS) is a new service that means that customers can choose to have their calls automatically routed to the phone company of their choice using their BT line and keep the same phone number. It's a bit like indirect access, except that no extra digits or autodialler boxes are required.

CPS has now been available for nearly a year, under a range of brand names from different companies. Up until now, customers have been able to choose from three CPS options: national calls, international calls and 'national and international calls'.This means that customers can take national calls from one phone company and international calls from another, or they may use the same phone company for both national and international calls.

What's new?

Oftel and the UK phone industry have continued to work together overthe last year to enhance the range of calls that can be provided by CPS. As a result of this work, from December this year, customers will be able to choose a further CPS option, all calls.

All calls means customers can choose CPS for international, national and local calls, along with calls to mobile, specially tariffed (for example local rate and freephone), premium rate and paging numbers to be carried by an alternative phone company.

The other CPS options (national, international and 'national and international') will still be available. However, if a customer chooses 'all calls' , they cannot have the national or international options as well, and the 'all calls' option must be taken from one alternative phone company only.

However customers will still be able to override CPS and make calls through BT or an indirect access operator by dialling a short code.

Oftel expects that the availability of the 'all calls' option will boost the CPS market, which has been relatively quiet to date. CPS will enhance competition and should bring benefits to customers in terms of choice and lower call charges.

Finding a CPS provider

Oftel has created a page on its website where companies offering CPS can have their details included. You can find this list at www.oftel.gov.uk/ind_groups/op_policy/cpscgm/cpslistoprts.htm.

What do people need to do?

After choosing an alternative provider, customers need to sign a contract with the CPS phone company and send BT a confirmation slip to confirm that they have chosen to use another company. The industry has designed the confirmation process to protect customers from unwanted changes to their phone provision, and there is a 14-day cooling-off period from the date BT receives confirmation, in case customers change their minds.

Customers will continue to get a bill from BT for line rental and any other services and calls not covered by CPS, plus a separate bill from the other phone companies for calls made using CPS.

If a customer no longer wants to use CPS, the customer can change back to BT or to another CPS operator. When this can be done will vary between CPS operators.

For further information on CPS please see Oftel's consumer guide to CPS at www.oftel.gov.uk/ind_groups/op_policy/cpscgm/docs/conguide.htm or contact Alex Campbell (tel: 020 7634 8970/e-mail alex.campbell@oftel.gov.uk).