Future Code changes?

[m419]

I would like Ofcom to consider changing the way 070,0871,0872 and 0873 numbers are set up.

Firstly they are charged between 10p and 50p per minute and from mobiles and Payphones a lot more.

070 numbers are called 'Personal Numbers'. There use is completely different to what they were orginally intended for, they popped up around 1999 and were first introduced by One2One,Flextel and BT Cellnet.

The cost of calling 070 numbers is harsh and people think they are just like normal mobile phone numbers and they are not,there have also been scams carried out by phone companies licenced phone companies such as Xero9 who operated such numbers and made drop calls to mobiles and when callers rang back they would place them on hold on purpose for a couple of minutes earning money.

Now a proposal was set by Ofcom to renumber 'Personal Numbers' including 07744 and 07755 numbers and possibly paging numbers that begin with 076 to the 06 range. I think that would have been a perfectly good idea and would free up numbers for mobile network operators. The plan was abandoned because too many phone companies opposed the idea and not many people for the idea actually responded to Ofcom's consultation.

Now 0871,0872 and 0873 numbers are charged between 10p and 15p per minute from BT landlines, now all the other networks and mobiles charge a lot more. In fact there are also 0901 numbers that are charged the same. Therefore it is advisable that Ofcom renumbers the current 087 range to the 09 range, 0870 numbers are being phased out and most are migrating to 0844 numbers.

I hope someone at Ofcom reads this and I urge everyone to complain about such numbers, they are a rip off, they are pratically premium rate numbers!

[Ignitionnet]

Have you contacted Ofcom on this issue directly?

I would hazard a guess you wouldn't be the first person to do so

[jb66]

It needs a total overhall, it's too complicated to work out charges.