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 Non Geographic Numbers - 0870 Call Rules Changing In The UK

A few key changes are:

1. Revenue share rebates from 0870 numbers will disappear from Jan 2008.

2. 0871 numbers will start to be regulated by ICSTIS.

3. Alternative number ranges are becoming available that will still pay a revenue share rebate.

The UK telephone watchdog, OFCOM, have been reviewing 0870 numbers since Sep 2005 since concerns were raised over companies profiteering from the numbers. Companies often charged much more than the national rate that the numbers were billed at; and it was usually starting an online business for dummies to the customer that the companies were getting a cut of the cost of the calls. Accusations were made of the charges being a “tax on the poor”

As a result of the review, OFCOM now require 0870 numbers to be charged at the same or lower rates than 01 and 02 numbers. If the call is to be billed at a higher rate, the caller needs to be informed before the call is charged, with a price pre-announcement at the start of the call.
This should mean that 0870 numbers should now be included within schemes such as mobile phone call packages. At the moment, 0870 numbers can charge 8p a minute for a call that a 01 number would charge 3p for.

Revenue sharing will also end for 0870 numbers, a process in which the business and the service provider would take a cut of the call charge.
0871 numbers are now to be classed as premium rate numbers, and as such fall under the jurisdiction of the ICSTIS, who already take care how to start an internet business numbers. These numbers are regulated much more strictly, with full disclosure of the charge calls per minute compulsory. In addition, any adult phone lines currently using 08 numbers will need to move to 09 by the January 2008 deadline.

0845 and 0844 numbers remain relatively unaffected by the new measures, with only more disclosure for the customers required on the price structure of such calls. Since phone card china numbers a primarily used for internet dial up charges, OFCOM will review these numbers in 2 years to see how much the services are being used, in light of the current trend of customers to move over to broadband.

OFCOM have also recently announced a new 03 number designation, which will have similar properties to the new 0870 numbers.

Business responses

There are a few options for business regarding non geographic numbers such as the 0870 changes.
1. Keep the 0870 number – if you receive low volumes of calls it may not be worth the expense of switching numbers.

2. Revert to the normal 01/02 number.

3. Move to 0844 numbers – business will experience a drop to current 0870 rates, yet 0844 numbers have similar call rates to 0845 but with double the revenue. They typically charge 5p a min for daytime calls.