[...continued]

Nancy Saunders asked what Michael meant by abuse? Michael highlighted the example of a GPs surgery using 0870 numbers for their main switchboard. Nancy Saunders said she would caution against using the term abuse.

Andy Martin said isn’t the issue over 087X over hyped. Calls to mobile are often significantly more expensive than calls to 087X.

Michael Dixon said that some of his members who didn’t receive a revenue share on 084X services liked using 084X services (for reasons like call routing etc). Michael stated that he believed that all revenue sharing should be brought into ICSTIS control. Nancy Saunders said this would be an enormous burden and might be likened to using a sledge hammer to crack a nut. Karen Wray asked if Michael really meant all revenue share to fall under ICSTIS control (including 1ppm services)? Michael, said it may appear extreme, but he believed it was something that needed to be done.

Karen Wray said that ICSTIS charge a levy on all call minutes under their remit and this would add a significant cost burden on NTS providers and that ICSTIS may not be a practical option for the 08XX range.

Michael Dixon said he accepted that there was a practical trade off over the use of NTS numbers. For example he was currently dealing with an insurance company which uses 0870 numbers for customer support lines. Michael said while he didn’t like paying 0870 call charges when calling them, he did note that this could help them reduce their insurance premiums.

Kath Embleton said many of the problems were around voice services, not dial internet and these services shouldn’t fall under ICSTIS control.

Caroline Wallace said that ICSTIS didn’t have just one way of dealing with regulation. A number of proportionate remedies could be devised for different services. Ofcom’s principle worries centre around the hosting of adult services on 08XX, the deployment of 087X diallers and the 5 – 10ppm revenue share.

Michael Dixon said that customers were aware of the bad press associated with some number ranges. Caroline Wallace said that forcing all revenue sharing organisations to use 09XX wouldn’t be ideal as consumers associate 09XX expensive calls eg £1.50ppm (possibly making consumers reluctant to call low value 09XX chargebands because of perceptions of high cost).

Dirmuid Jennings said that research indicated that customers think NTS is a great deal more expensive than it actually is, so the issue centres on customer perception.

Karen Wray said that good consumer information would go a long way to help inform consumers. Caroline Wallace said she was disappointed that the industry hadn’t offered more in their responses by way of offering to help consumers gain a better understanding of NTS.

Caroline Wallace said she didn’t believe the industry warmly supported improved consumer information (eg. A new code of practice). Karen Wray said that a key theme of the UKCTA response was helping consumers have confidence in NTS and UKCTA hadn’t supported the introduction of a code of practice because there were adequate obligations available today (if enforced) which would greatly assist consumers obtaining information on NTS tariffing without the need to go down the route of establishing a code of practice.

Karen Wray said the UKCTA response was fully supportive on initiatives to assist consumers gaining access to the necessary information to make informed decisions over NTS. Toby Higho said that communication providers already have an incentive to ensure that consumers are aware of NTS tariffs. If consumers don’t know, and the costs are unexpected then they complain.

Dirmuid Jennings said that 07 represented an alternative non-geographic range to NTS and mobile was more expensive.

Toby Higho said that while 087X was in the spot light today, with further pricing pressure, 084X could come into focus over the next few years. Michael Dixon said on the other hand you might get feedback to suggest there wasn’t a problem.

Caroline Wallace said Ofcom were trying to understand the issue to establish if there really was a problem with revenue sharing per se on 08XX. Although Ofcom had received 150 consumer responses, there are many millions of NTS users in the UK. So whether these responses were representative of consumers at large needed to be understood, including whether lack of comment from consumers might be related to low awareness of how 08XX number ranges function in terms of price and scope for revenue sharing.

Karen Wray asked Michael why so many of his members use 08XX NTS numbers instead of geographic numbering?

Michael Dixon said many of members were very happy with the 08XX services they use. Many didn’t have a national network and enjoyed the routing and non-geo nature of the service. Michael said the introduction of 056 numbering may provide some of the same advantages.

Tim Stephens asked if many CMA members know about 0844. Michael said yes, and many have made use of 0844.

Dominic Carney said organisations had a choice and if they opted to use 0870, that was their choice to do so.

Where did you get this stuff from?

Or have you missed an attendee from the list?

One with a first name starting in I and surname starting in B?

Also I thought that the Ofcom focus groups were supposed to be with the public and not with the villains who run this industry.

Why aren't they holding any focus groups with those of us who responded to the consultation I wonder? ???