The latest from Riverside asylum:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/telecoms/groups/nts_focus/notes/nts7nov06

NTS Focus Group - 7th November 2006 - 2.00 pm Ofcom


Meeting Notes & Actions

Agenda item (1) - Introductions

Attendance:
Andrew Wileman  Ntl:Telewest (Chair)

Marcus Rudkin  Band-X

Rob Day  BT

Kath Embleton  BT

Justin Hornby  Cable & Wireless

Laurent Pariat  Cable & Wireless

Andrew Monk  Carphone Warehouse

Toby Higho  Easynet

Will Goodall  Flextel

David Happy  Flextel

Tom Cairns  Gamma

Andy Martin  IV Response

Lesa Green  Kingston Communications

Nancy Saunders  Kingston Communications

Geoff Brighton  Ofcom

Clive Hillier  Ofcom

Mike Barford  Tiscali

Agenda Item (2): Review of minutes of previous meeting
Kath Embleton/Rob Day noted that the proposed timetable for discussion around future 0870 charging arrangements did not provide sufficient time for preparation of OCCNs/pricing letters. The timetable was therefore to be adjusted as follows:

Now – Dec 2006: Discussion/agreement of principles

Jan 2007 – mid March 2007: Negotiation/agreement of rates

Mid April 2007: Issue by BT of pricing letters/OCCNs (1 month required for OCCN preparation)

Summer 2007: Potential referral to Ofcom (if a dispute arises)

1st Feb 2008: Implementation of new interconnect rates (either as a result of agreement or via Ofcom ruling)

No additional comments/concerns were raised. It was therefore agreed that the minutes, once amended, could be published on the Ofcom website.

Agenda (3): Update/progress report on the current 'live' NTS related consultations/investigations: (Ofcom/All)
Adult Services consultation
Geoff Brighton said that the publication of the ‘Conditions regulating Sexual Entertainment Services’ consultation was imminent. (Post meeting note: Consultation was published on 9 th November). The consultation will contain proposals to ensure that all sexual entertainment services (SES) are offered on 09 premium rate telephone numbers, and that all SES are subject to premium rate regulation regardless of the price charged for the service. The closing date for consultation responses is 14 th December 2006.

NCCN 500 investigation/NTS call termination market review
Clive Hillier said that Ofcom was still in the process of drawing the NCCN 500 investigation to a conclusion. He added that the intention was to circulate the preliminary findings to the parties to the dispute in the first instance.

The call termination market review remains on hold, pending the outcome of the NCCN 500 investigation.

Andrew Wileman noted the potential linkage between the outcome of the call termination market review and discussions around future 0870 interconnect charges. Clive said there would not necessarily be a linkage as 0870 was due to be removed from the scope of the NTS call origination condition. Nancy Saunders said that the key question was that of which market 0870 would fall into. Other attendees believed that a linkage would exist, but the extent to which this would be the case was not clear.

ICSTIS progress re. Governance of 0871
Clive Hillier confirmed that the ICSTIS pre-consultation on the extension of its remit to cover 0871 services closed on 29 th September. A full consultation is due to be published in February 2007. Andy Martin noted that the current timetable had created a timing issue. CPs/SPs considering a migration from 0870 to 0871 ranges would not know what the exact conditions & constraints around the 0871 number range would be until later in 2007. Andy said that this did not leave time to plan or produce business plans. Will Goodall said he believed that the ICSTIS consultation process should be expedited as it presented a significant problem for businesses considering a migration from 0870 to 0871.

Will asked if the forthcoming ICSTIS regulation would apply universally to all price points within the 0871 range? Clive Hillier said that the ICSTIS code would apply to the entire 0871 range, however the question of whether different regulation would apply at different price points would be left to the discretion of ICSTIS when compiling the consultation.

Clive Hillier also informed attendees that the 11 th ICSTIS code was to be approved imminently.

General Condition 14 Enforcement Programme
Clive Hillier advised that Ofcom had opened an own-initiative enforcement programme into compliance with the amended General Condition 14 (NTS and PRS Codes of Practice). Responses had been received to the formal requests for information and Ofcom was in the process of considering these submissions.

BT POLO Dispute

Attendees were advised that Ofcom had received a referral for dispute from BT as a result of non-signature of recent OCCNs by a number of CPs. (These OCCNs covered the revision of BT’s retail call charges, following the relaxation of BT charge controls and changes to discount values). Clive Hillier said that Ofcom had opened an enquiry and was in the process of considering the scope of any potential dispute. He also said that input had been received from the parties involved.

...

...

Andy Martin suggested that given the uncertainty around the implementation of the 03 range and the proposed timetable for the ICSTIS 0871 consultation, the legacy 0870 charging arrangements should be allowed to prevail for a further year. Andy asked if this would be possible. Geoff Brighton said that the final statement on 0870 had been published in April 2006 and CPs had therefore already had at least 6 months to consider their options. Andy said that the point was that CPs could not make decisions until they were in possession of all of the facts & options.

Agenda Item (5) – Implementation of the 03 Range (Ofcom/All)
Several attendees expressed concerns about the apparent delay to the publication of the 03 application guidelines and the Statement officially bringing 03 into being. Ofcom said that it was hoped that both documents would be published within the next few weeks. Lesa Green said that many networks were subject to data freezes over the Christmas season and hence would not be able to effect any implementation during that period.

Will Goodall reiterated the point that he believed the implementation of 03 had rendered the planned reforms to 0870 unnecessary. Clive Hillier said that the decision to implement 03 had taken into account the changes to 0870 and that the implementation of 03 aimed to address several policy issues that would not be addressed by the 0870 reforms alone. David Happy said that he wanted Ofcom to consider the legitimate expectation of CPs.

Agenda item (6) – Review of remaining outstanding actions
Action Aug06_09 : Porting differential issue to be added to the agenda of the first NTSFG meeting of 2007. Ongoing.

Action Aug06_10 : Andrew Wileman to confirm the position of the NTSFG in respect of SNEN discussions to the chair of the Telecom Advisory Group. Ongoing – Position to be confirmed. Attendees were informed that subsequent roll-out of the SNEN had been delayed.

Action Sep06_01: Objections to the proposal that the 0870 reforms should commence on 1st February 2008 to be communicated to the chair by 31 st October 2006. Discharged – Andrew Wileman confirmed that no objections had been raised. Attendees asked that this action point be clarified to reflect the fact that it referred to the timing consideration only, and did not relate to acceptance of general principles.

Action Sep06_10: Andrew Wileman to arrange a second 0870 charging workshop. Discharged – Workshop took place on 1 st November.

Action Sep06_10: Nic Green to confirm the Ofcom lead for the Consumer Protection Forum. Discharged – Geoff Brighton confirmed that the Ofcom lead was Warwick Izzard.

Agenda item (7) – Any Other Business
Lesa Green asked if the use of 0871 as a presentation number would be prohibited once it was covered by ICSTIS’ jurisdiction? Ofcom agreed to clarify.

New Action Nov06_03: Ofcom to confirm if the use of 0871 as a presentation number will be prohibited once covered by ICSTIS’ jurisdiction.

Date of Next Meeting:
Thursday 11 th January 2007– 2:00pm Ofcom – Riverside House, London

Summary of New and Outstanding Actions:
Aug06_09
Porting differential issue to be added to the agenda of the first NTSFG meeting of 2007

Aug06_10
Andrew Wileman to confirm the position of the NTSFG in respect of SNEN discussions to the chair of the Telecom Advisory Group

Nov06_01
Andrew Wileman to arrange a further 0870 charging workshop

Nov06_02
BT to issue an updated proposal on 0870 charging

Nov06_03
Ofcom to confirm if the use of 0871 as a presentation number will be prohibited once covered by ICSTIS’ jurisdiction

[end]

idb wrote on Jan 13^th, 2007 at 4:41am:
I can't believe this Andy from IV Response asked this!  Money, money, money is all he and his company are thinking about.  I bet you he and his family try not to ring these numbers but it's ok for other consumers who have no idea of the costs involved to continue this scam for a year longer just so IV Response can continue to get even more money.

What about 0844, 0845, 0871 and 09x numbers?  His company still earns money from the use of these numbers.  I assume that the most common number that his customers have are 0870 numbers.

Ofcom already gave the 0870 an extension anyhow compared to what they proposed in the consultation and like Geoff said, they've already had 6months to consider their options.

bbb_uk wrote on Jan 13^th, 2007 at 1:13pm:


As a caller display number on people's phones I would have thought so as to tempt them to ring back on it.

Tanllan wrote on Jan 13^th, 2007 at 6:37pm:


Because the unprincipled telco loving so and sos who run ICSTIS and Ofcom will be the ones allowed to make the final decision.