Oftel allocates new 118 codes for directory enquiries

In May Oftel held a lottery to allocate 118 numbers for providing directory enquiries. The event was very successful, and saw over 300 numbers allocated to over 80 different service providers.

There were also plenty of numbers left over to allocate to service providers who may wish to enter the market in the future.

Many different service providers (some new, some working with the existing phone companies) plan to launch DQ services using the new 118 numbers.

There was particular interest in the very memorable numbers, for example 118118, although Oftel decided to withhold some codes (for example 118192) to avoid consumer confusion.

The phone companies are now carrying out the necessary work to make the new 118 numbers available on their telephone networks. Services will be launched as early as December this year, although service providers may decide to launch in the new year.

Oftel currently plans to withdraw the existing DQ numbers (such as 192 and 153) in in August 2003, although it will be monitoring use of the new services to check that consumers have adopted the new numbers. There will be no change to the 195 directory enquiry number for blind or otherwise disabled consumers.

Raising consumers' awareness of the changes to DQ services is now a key challenge for Oftel and the industry.

Oftel expects a great deal of advertising over the next 12-18 months to inform consumers of the different 118 numbers, the services offered and the price for calls.

Service providers may offer a fixed charge for calls, or a charge per minute that the call is connected, or a combination. However, to avoid confusion, service providers must make some charge: they are not allowed to offer free services.

Service providers will also offer a greater variety of services, for example services in different languages and call completion, where consumers are connected to the number sought, and do not have to hang up and redial.

Before the new services are launched, Oftel will be publishing a consumer guide to explain in more detail the impact of these changes on consumers.

A full list of 118 DQ numbers allocated to service providers is on Oftel's website at: www.oftel.gov.uk/ind_info/numbering/s10.xls.

For further information contact Alex Campbell (tel: 020 7634 8970 / e-mail: alex.campbell@oftel.gov.uk).

Changes to directory enquiries

At the moment, if you dial 192, you get the DQ service provided by your phone company. So if you dial 192 on a BT line, you get BT's DQ service, and if you dial 192 on your mobile phone, you get your mobile phone company's DQ service.

Very few consumers in the UK can easily use any DQ service other than the one provided by their own phone company, so Oftel has decided on a new system that will introduce competition into the directory enquiries (DQ) market:

• consumers will access DQ services through a new range of six-digit numbers starting with 118;
• the existing numbers used for DQ (192 and 153) will continue to work in parallel for a period of time to let people get used to the change; and
• after the parallel running period, the old numbers will be withdrawn.

These changes do not affect the 195 service for customers who are visually impaired or unable to use a conventional telephone book.