Cold callers to be forced to display phone numbers under new Government plans

Cold callers will no longer be able to hide or disguise their phone numbers as Government continues to crack down on nuisance calls.

Baroness Neville Rolfe, minister responsible for data protection, is expected to confirm tomorrow that from Monday 16 May 2016, direct marketing companies registered in the UK will need to display their phone numbers when making unsolicited phone calls - even if their call centres are based abroad.
The move follows positive backing in a public consultation and extensive work with regulators, industry, and consumer groups.
Baroness Neville Rolfe said:

Nuisance calls are incredibly intrusive and can cause significant harm to elderly and vulnerable members of society.

Government is committed to tackling this problem, which is why we are making it easier for consumers to report companies by forcing them to display their phone numbers.

We’re sending a clear message to rogue direct marketing companies. Nuisance calls are unacceptable and we will not hesitate to take action against the companies behind them.

This amendment in legislation will not only improve consumer protection, making it easier for people to refuse and report unwanted marketing calls, but it will also ensure the ICO can investigate and take enforcement action against callers who persistently and deliberately break the rules.

This latest move by Government follows news that a substantial number of fines totalling £895,000 have been issued by the ICO. In 2015, this Government made it easier to fine nuisance callers by removing the need for consumers to prove that unwanted marketing calls were causing substantial distress and damage.

Companies can risk fines of up to £2 million from Ofcom and a further £500,000 from the ICO if they continue to bombard consumers with unwanted calls.
ICO Head of Enforcement, Steve Eckersley said:

Any change that make it easier for us to track down and take action against companies making nuisance calls is a change that will reduce the annoyance these calls cause.

We do investigate unscrupulous companies who hide their identities, and we can track them down, but it certainly makes our job more difficult. And when people are able to identify the number behind the call they’ve received, they’re more likely to complain to us and that means we’re more able to take action.

We welcome this move, which we’ve been consulted on throughout.

Which? Executive director Richard Lloyd, said:

This is another important victory in the fight against nuisance calls. With marketing firms now being forced to display their numbers when making calls, it will make it much easier for people to report them and enforcement action to be taken when companies break the law.

Plum Communications supply a range of CLI flexibility services which allow call centres to supply a a suitable number and stay legal when making calls, please speak to us if you require advice on remaining compliant after the new changes.

We also supply a range of services to allow you to restrict inbound calls based upon the caller number presented and where the number is withheld.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cold-callers-to-be-forced-to-display-phone-numbers-under-new-government-plans

Plum Communications : 01616223500

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Making digital communications work for everyone

Ofcom has now published initial conclusions of its review of digital communications, which is designed to make the UK a world-leading digital economy over the next decade and beyond.

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/telecoms/policy/digital-comms-review/DCR_comment.pdf


More detail is available here:

http://media.ofcom.org.uk/news/2016/digital-comms-review-feb16/


Ofcom’s decisions are designed to achieve:

• A choice of networks for consumers and businesses. Openreach must open up its network of telegraph poles and underground tunnels to allow rivals to build their own, advanced fibre networks, connected directly to homes and offices.
• Reform of Openreach. Openreach needs to change, taking its own decisions on budget, investment and strategy, in consultation with the wider industry.
• Better quality of service across the telecoms industry. Ofcom intends to introduce tougher rules on faults, repairs and installations; transparent information on service quality; and automatic compensation for consumers when things go wrong.
• Better broadband and mobile coverage. Ofcom will work with the Government to deliver a new universal right to fast, affordable broadband for every household and business in the UK. We also intend to place new obligations in future spectrum licences to improve rural mobile coverage.

  Plum Communications   Tel: 0161 622 3500 or email:  info@plumcom.co.uk.

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5 Areas of UK will need to Dial Local Dialling Codes from 1st October 2014

This will not affect you unless you live in the areas concerned but from 1st October 2014 telephone subscribers in Aberdeen, Bradford, Brighton, Middlesborough and Milton Keynes will need to dial the Area code when dialling local numbers.

What change is happening to local phone calls?

From 1 October 2014, people in five areas of the UK will need to include the area code whenever they dial a local number from a landline – in the same way people currently do when calling from mobile phones. At present the code can be omitted for local calls from landlines , but this means Ofcom is unable to make available new local numbers beginning with a ‘zero’ or a ‘one’.
The change will free up new telephone numbers to be issued in areas where supplies are running low.

Which areas are affected?

The change will happen in five dialling code areas:
•Aberdeen (01224): Includes Aberdeen and the area to the west, including towns such as Westhill.
•Bradford (01274): Includes Bradford and the surrounding areas such as Baildon, Bingley, Cleckheaton and Shipley.
•Brighton (01273): Includes Brighton and Hove, as well as places such as Lewes, Newhaven, Peacehaven and Southwick.
•Middlesbrough (01642): Includes Middlesbrough and surrounding places such as Stockton, Redcar, Stokesley and Yarm.
•Milton Keynes (01908): Includes Milton Keynes, Bletchley, Newport Pagnell and an area to the north as far as Ravenstone.

When will the change happen?

If you live in one of the five areas, you will have to dial the local code from 1 October 2014. However, you can already do this and it is good idea to get into the habit of dialling the code from today.

What if I forget to dial the code?

After 1 October 2014, if you dial a local number but forget to include the code, you will hear a free message asking you to redial including the code.

Will the cost of making a call change?

No. Dialling the code does not affect the price of the call.

Will phone numbers change?

No. The change is only to the way local numbers are dialled from landlines. By this change, we can increase the supply of numbers without changing anybody’s existing phone number. This is important for us, as we know that number changes are costly and inconvenient for consumers and businesses.

Why are the changes necessary in these particular areas?

The number of telecoms companies has increased significantly over the last ten years, leading to more competition and cheaper landline bills for millions of homes and businesses. But it has also led to increased pressure on the supply of new phone numbers and we have forecast shortages in these five areas.
Asking landline callers to use the code when dialling local numbers is intended to safeguard the future supply of new landline numbers and avoid the need for more disruptive measures, such as changing existing phone numbers. The supply of new landline numbers also ensures that consumers and businesses continue to enjoy the widest choice of telecoms providers.

How will the changes increase the supply of phone numbers?

Allowing callers to omit the code makes it impossible to allocate local numbers that begin with zero or one – such as (01224) 077 345 or (01224) 118 456.
This is because, if a person dialled such a local number and omitted the code, the network would interpret the dialled digits as a mobile number (e.g. beginning 07) or directory enquiries number (e.g. beginning 118), rather than a local number. This could lead to the call failing to be connected, or being connected to the wrong number. Around 200,000 more numbers will be made available in each of the five areas as a result of the change to the way local numbers may be dialled.

Has this been tried anywhere else?

Yes. In November 2012, Ofcom implemented the same change in the Bournemouth dialling code area, where the process ran smoothly. (Going into the change, Ofcom research showed that 81% of local residents were aware of it, and 94% said they were not concerned by it.)

How are you going to tell people about this change?

Telecoms companies will help to communicate the change to their customers. Ofcom is also engaging with residents through local media, local councils and business groups. Together, Ofcom and the telecoms companies will ensure callers in the five areas are informed of the change in good time, and the local community is prepared.

Who should I contact for further information?

Ofcom is working with telephone companies to ensure callers in the five areas are informed of the change in good time, and the local communities are prepared. In the meantime, if you have any questions you can contact Ofcom at dialthecode@ofcom.org.uk or call 0300 123 3333.

Is this change happening in any other areas?

No, not at the moment. Changes in dialling local numbers are only being introduced when areas need an additional supply of numbers. This limits disruption to people in other areas that do not need more numbers.
There is no change on 1 October to the way local numbers can be dialled in surrounding areas with different codes.  

Why don’t you change numbers as you have done in other areas in the past?

Ofcom has changed consumers’ numbers and codes in the past to create more new phone numbers, and this solution ensures a long-term supply. However changes to numbers are costly and inconvenient for consumers and businesses. Ofcom’s consumer research found that local residents and businesses prefer having to dial the code to changing their phone number.

Sources
http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/phone/numbering/dial-the-code/

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Lower mobile rates to benefit consumers

Ofcom today announced a reduction in mobile termination rates – the wholesale charges that mobile operators make to other operators to connect calls to their networks – designed to benefit UK consumers.

From 1 April, Ofcom will place a cap on the rates charged by all four national mobile network operators – 3UK, O2, Everything Everywhere and Vodafone. This will lead to around an 80% reduction in termination rates over the next four years. The reduction for 2011 is 1.52p per minute (1.82 per minute for 3UK).

We are pleased to pass on the reduction in the cost of calls from landline to mobile phones from 1st April 2011 and will be contacting customers to advise them of the tariff which will apply from 1st April 2011.

If you are not a customer of Plum Communications contact us now to find out how you would benefit from the reduction.

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“Communications not dented by downturn” according to Ofcom communications report

Ofcom's sixth Communications Market Report into the £52 billion TV, radio, broadband, telecoms and mobile industries has found that Britons are more willing to cut back on holidays and meals out than on spending on communication technology during the recession.

When the 862 people surveyed where asked which items they were likely to cut back on, 47 per cent said they would choose to cut back on going out for dinner, 41 per cent on DIY and 41 per cent on holidays. This compares with only a fifth (19 per cent) who would cut back on mobile phone spend, 16 per cent on TV subscriptions and 10 per cent on their broadband services. To view the full report please click here for a PDF version or a detailed summary. For a breakdown of the report in a particular region in England, click here.

Some general findings from the report found:

• 50% of internet users use Facebook
• There were 2.6m Twitter users in May 2009
• Men are more likely to watch catch-up TV
• Leeds has the highest take-up rate for mobile broadband (29%)
• Mobile broadband take up was lowest in the Scottish Borders (3%)

In relation to telecoms, 7 key themes have become apparent in the report:

• A decade of change: the shift towards mobile and data services. The transformation of the telecoms market over the last ten years as mobile phone and internet services have become mass-market.
• The growth of local loop unbundling is reshaping the internet service provider market. With the cost structures associated with providing LLU-based services determining that 'bigger is better', the broadband market has been transformed since the introduction of LLU, both in terms of market size and the subscriber shares of the larger players.
• Super-fast broadband becomes a reality. The emergence of the UK's first super-fast broadband services, which are now being implemented after much anticipation, and consider how these services might impact the ISP market.
• The maturity of mobile broadband. Around three million people in the UK now access broadband services provided over a cellular network via USB modems (or 'dongles'). The relationship between mobile and fixed broadband services has matured.
• Smartphones and applications drive more sophisticated use of 'mobile internet'. The rise of the ‘mobile app’ and advances in mobile handset technology is affecting the way in which we use our mobile phones to access online services.
• SIM-only contracts central to new focus on low-cost tariffs. The changes in operator strategy and consumer behaviour have resulted in a growth in the share of pay-monthly contracts, driven primarily by the take-up of sub-£20-a-month tariffs.
• New MVNOs gain market share. The market conditions that have seen a raft of virtual network operators and service providers launch in the last couple of years and win market share

Figures regarding the use of mobiles and broadband have also been released:

Mobile phone facts and figures

• Almost 77 million mobile subscriptions - up 3 million on the year
• Nearly 30 million mobile phone contracts - up more than 3 million
• Pay as you go connections down by 100,000 to just under 47 million
• Over 80 billion texts sent last year - an average of 100 texts per person, per month
• More than 100 billion minutes of calls - equivalent of 123 minutes, per mobile, per month

Broadband facts and figures

• 17% growth in the number of UK homes with broadband.
• 19 million (50 per cent) of internet users now visit Facebook
• 29% of homes in Leeds have mobile broadband - the highest in the UK
• 22% of homes in the Highlands and Islands have mobile broadband
• 21% of internet users had used VoiP in 2008

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Ofcom reveals that UK broadband rates are 'not up to speed'

Ofcom has today published the results of their research into fixed-line broadband speeds in the UK. Speed has become more significant as people increasingly use the internet for bandwidth-hungry applications such as downloading video and audio. The research involved over 60 million separate service performance tests being carried out in over 1600 homes between November 2008 and April 2009.

The research found that nearly 20% of UK broadband customers who have an 8Mbps connection receive less than 2Mbps on average. Similarly, less than 9% received more than 6Mbps. The report did show though that the average internet connection speed across the UK had increased from 3.6Mbps in January to 4.1Mbps. This news will interest Lord Carter and the government’s plans for “All British Homes to Have Broadband by 2012”, with the government wanting British households on at least 2Mbs speed broadband by 2012. Below you can listen to Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards talking about the report:

You can view the full report here. In summary the report found that:

• The average broadband speed in the UK in April 2009 was 4.1 megabits per second (Mbit/s). This compares to an average 'up to' headline speed of 7.1 Mbit/s.
• The actual speeds received varied widely. Fewer than one in ten (9 per cent) of the sample on 8Mbit/s headline packages received actual average speeds of over 6Mbit/s and around one in five (19 per cent) received, on average, less than 2Mbit/s.
• Those living in urban areas received significantly faster speeds than those living in rural areas. The average speed delivered to urban consumers was 4.6Mbit/s, compared to an average of 3.3Mbit/s delivered to rural consumers.
• Consumers with all ISPs experienced a slowdown in actual speeds during peak evening hours (8-10pm), with speeds in this period around 20 per cent slower than over a 24-hour period.

It's not just which provider you're with - or what deal you've signed up to - which can affect the speed of your connection. If you get your broadband via a phone line, then something as simple as how far you live from your local telephone exchange or a missing filter can affect the speed of your connection.

Ofcom have released the following video guide on how to improve your broadband speed:

Plum Communications provide a range of Broadband Internet Services, most popular are the ADSL services which have a different higher download speed to the upload speed. These start with standard ADSL (up to 2Mb), rate adaptive ADSL (up to 8Mb) and fast rate adaptive ADSL 2+ (up to 24Mb). Distance from the exchange, line quality, interference or a missing filter will reduce the speed available. A line check can be carried out for any proposed connection to determine the potential speed of the line.

The ADSL type of connection meets most needs as in general customers will download more than they upload, however some customers will have special requirements, for instance remote hosting of services and files, back up routines, camera access, gaming, streaming and in these cases a higher upload speed is required. This can be provided economically by bonding multiple ADSL circuits together.

Alternatively SDSL connections are available with higher upload speeds and where guaranteed bandwidth with Service Level Agreement is required we provide direct internet connections and leased lines. For advice on the most appropriate method of connection for your business contact Plum Communications on 0161 622 3500.

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New 111 non-emergency healthcare phone number

People could soon be able to call a single memorable number when they need medical help and advice. Ofcom has today published its proposals for a new single memorable phone number for the Department of Health, 111, to make it easier for patients to access non-emergency healthcare in their local area.

The Department of Health intends to introduce the service in England which will provide advice and information to the public when they need medical help urgently but the situation is not life-threatening. The price of calls will be determined by the Department of Health through negotiations with communications providers, and the consultation sets out a range of pricing option. These include making calls free to the caller, 10p per call, 3p per minute or charged at local or national rates.

999 and 112 will continue to be the numbers to call in an emergency. The Department of Health intends to pilot the number in certain parts of the country from spring 2010 and expects to roll out the service across England following these pilots. Health authorities in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales may consider whether to introduce the 111 service following the outcome of the pilots in England.
To view more information regarding this proposal, please click here.

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Ofcom publishes UK maps of 3G coverage for the first time

Ofcom has for the first time published UK maps of 3G coverage. 3G (or third generation) services allow people to connect to the web via a mobile network, either directly through a mobile phone or by plugging a USB modem (or 'dongle') into their PC or laptop. Millions have signed up for mobile broadband deals over the last few years, with over two million new connections between February 2008 and February 2009 alone. Ofcom hope that they can assist the Government on its proposals to make more hotspots available for mobile broadband, as well as the work to improve 3G coverage on key transport routes.

Ofcom’s findings have shown that some areas, particularly in rural areas, are still failing to get any coverage, or notspots (a play on words of hotspots). Ofcom also investigated mobile broadband speeds, which vary tremendously in different areas and at different times of day. To view the 3G map visit the Ofcom website here and a snapshot view of the map below:

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Update on the changes to 0870 numbers as of 1st August 2009

Since we last posted a blog entry about Ofcom’s new regulation for 0870 numbers, we have received some more information regarding pricing and the various options available to 0870 number owners come 1st August 2009. We recently sent out an information sheet regarding the changes to our customers, below is an extract from that sheet, which can be viewed in full at www.plumcom.co.uk/0870

Announcement

Following a review by Ofcom the charging method for 0870 numbers will change from 1st August 2009. From that date there will be a charge made on the person calling a 0870 number (Origination) and another charge raised on the person receiving the call (Termination).

Origination - The cost of calling 0870 numbers is likely to fall although this is not compulsorily on providers and at the time of writing very few carriers have published their rates. From 1st August 2009 Plum will charge 2p per minute for calls made to 0870 numbers from fixed landlines.

Termination - From 1st August 2009 Plum customers will be charged 2p per minute for incoming calls on their 0870 numbers.

NOTE - Plum will no longer refer to 0870 calls as National Rate and will not include 0870 calls in any bundled minutes or packages billed by Plum.

What options are available?

There are 4 options available:

1. Leave the 0870 number live and accept the new charges. The service will continue as normal and routing will not be affected. (This is the default option which will be taken if no other option is specified).

2. Cease the 0870 number. There will be no charge for ceasing a 0870 number. Callers will receive unobtainable tone or network message advising that the number is not in service. The number would be available for another subscriber to use if the number were ceased.

3. Play answer message on the 0870 number and advise caller of an alternative number to call. No charge for set up, calls would be charged at 2p per minute.

4. Play an introductory message at the start of each call advising that the number will change and then connect the call as per existing routing. No charge for set up, calls would be charged at 2p per minute.

In conjunction with any of the above it is possible to migrate to a new number prefix e.g 03, 0800, 0844, 0845 or 0871 or local prefix. No cost for set up. New number prefixes can be run in parallel to ensure business continuity.

Default Option:
In the absence of any instructions from you the number holder we will apply option 1 - Leave the 0870 number live and accept the new charges. The service will continue as normal and routing will not be affected. Charges will be applied to the customer's invoice.

Where the customer does not have an active account or an account is unpaid and we cannot establish contact with the account holder we will cease the 0870 number. Callers will receive unobtainable tone or network message advising that the number is not in service. The number would be available for another subscriber to use if the number were ceased.

The Plum Inbound Portal allows numbers to be managed and call routing changed. The Plum Inbound Portal costs £10 per month irrespective of the number of lines controlled by the portal. For more information you can view a factsheet at www.plumcom.co.uk/plum_inbound, call Plum on 0161 622 2500 or send an email to info@plumcom.co.uk.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries regarding this new legislation OR would like to discuss the available options for your current 0870 number.

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Ofcom announce changes to 0870 numbers

Ofcom have announced that the proposed changes to 0870 numbers will come into effect on 1st August 2009. The aim is to rebuild public confidence in NGNs (Non Geographic Numbers) by restoring the geographic link for 0870 ‘national rate’ calls and will require mobile and fixed line providers to charge the same or less for 0870 calls as they do for calls to geographic numbers (starting 01 or 02) and be included in any call packages. The Ofcom change will mean that revenue sharing will no longer available on 0870 numbers. Calls received by 0870 number owners will become chargeable. A pricing announcement will follow shortly; however, this is likely to be in line with current Area-Call charges.

There are 3 main options available:

1. Leave the 0870 number live and accept the new charges. The service will continue as normal and routing will not be affected.
2. Cease the existing 0870 number. This can be ceased immediately or when the new regulations come into place on 1st August 2009
3. Migrate the service to another non-geographic number. Should you require revenue sharing Plum would recommend 084* (0844, 0843) or 087* (0871, 0872) numbers.

Numbers can be run in parallel to ensure no loss of business, for example, continue to run the 0870 number with an announcement that the number is changing, to enable your customers to get used to the changes gradually. When the changes come in to affect, either cease the number or leave an announcement on advising customers to dial the new number. Plum offer both of these services.

Ofcom have also announced that once the 0870 changes have been implemented they will consider whether a review on 0845’s is necessary and advise on the appropriate timing of this. An announcement will be made on this in 2009 or 2010.

Alternative numbers
•0843 is an extension of the 0844 range with price points from 1ppm to 5ppm
•0872 is an extension of the 0871 range with price points from 5ppm to 10ppm
(subject to PhonepayPlus regulations)

For a PDF version of this announcement, please click here.

Do not hesitate to contact Plum on 0161 622 3500 or at info@plumcom.co.uk if you have any queries regarding this new legislation or would like to discuss the available options for your current 0870 number.

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PhonepayPlus to take over running of 0871 numbers

Ofcom have recently announced that PhonepayPlus will take over the day-to-day regulation of 0871 numbers on 1st August 2009, when numbers beginning 087 - with the exception of 0870 - will formally be recognised as Premium Rate Services (PRS), putting them under the remit of PhonepayPlus' Code of Practice. This will mean that there are changes on the services for all 0871 numbers provided by Plum Communications. Please note that these regulations only apply to numbers targeted to consumers. Business to business communication is not covered under current PhonepayPlus regulations.

4 areas covered by the PhonepayPlus regulation

1. Clear pricing
Customers must be clearly informed of the price that a call to a 087* number will cost. This should be included clearly on all advertising and literature relating to the 087* numbers which is aimed at consumers. PhonepayPlus does understand that there may be advertising and literature out in the marketplace currently. They have advised that in the short term a message at the start of all calls to 0871 will be acceptable.

2. Undue delay
PhonepayPlus have advised the “services must not be unreasonably delayed or prolonged” this means that consumers must not be unnecessarily delayed when calling 087* numbers and need to be advised of their expected wait time or position in a queue on the phone if there will be a long waiting period. This will allow the consumer to decide whether to continue to hold or not especially during busy periods.

3. Fairness
Promotions must not mislead or take unfair advantage of consumers. All advertising should be clear and concise and not mislead or aim to mislead the consumers in any way or take unfair advantage of any characteristic or circumstance which may make consumers vulnerable.

4. Redress
087* services will now be treated as PRS services and as such come under the constraints of PhonepayPlus which means that consumers will be able to make complaints if they feel that they were mislead in any way.

For a full PDF version of this announcement please click here.

Disclaimer
PhonepayPlus have advised that should a provider be found in breach of its code it has the power to issue formal reprimands impose fines and even shut down the service. Plum Communications Ltd. as a registered service provider are ultimately responsible for the 087* services and will work together with PhonepayPlus should any services be subject to investigation. Plum Communications Ltd. as the service provider reserves the right to pass
on any fines / sanctions to any customers who do not conform to PhonepayPlus code of practice guidelines, which can be found at http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/codeofpractice/default.asp

Guidance on the new regulation is available at
http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/business/0871.asp
Should you have any questions or queries on the new regulations please do not hesitate to contact PhonepayPlus directly
telephone: 0845 0261060
email: compliance@phonepayplus.org.uk

OR do not hesitate to contact Plum on 0161 622 3500 or at info@plumcom.co.uk if you have any queries regarding this new legislation

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Review of Ofcom Telecoms Report Q4 2008

Ofcom have released their telecoms report for the fourth quarter, or last 3 months (October - December) in 2008. The report aims to highlight emerging trends in the UK telecoms sector, in order to generate a greater understanding of the sector amongst consumers and businesses alike. As stated on the Ofcom website, the main trends in fixed lines and calls, internet, and mobile phones, were as follows:

Fixed

• Total UK fixed voice call and access revenues continued to fall, by 0.9% during Q4 2008 to £2.20bn, with BT’s share falling by 0.3 percentage points to 59.7%.
• The total number of exchange lines decreased by 119,000 during Q4 2008, with BT reporting a 469,000 fall in its lines.
• Total fixed call volumes fell by 738 million minutes (2.1%) to 34.6 billion during the quarter, with a year-on-year fall of 3.4 billion minutes.

Internet

• By the end of Q4 2008 there were 17.3 million residential and small business UK broadband connections, an increase of 2.1% on Q3 2008.
• There was a year-on-year increase of 1.7 million connections (11%). BT’s retail market share of broadband connections fell by 0.1 percentage points during Q4 2008 to 26.3%, with Virgin Media’s share at 21.3%

Mobile

• Total revenue across the UK’s four largest mobile operators declined by 2% in Q4 2008 compared to the previous quarter, reflecting a 3% fall in revenue from calls and other charges and a 2% fall in messaging revenues. There was an overall year-on-year fall in revenue of 1%.
• Total call volumes across the four operators grew by 2% quarter-on-quarter, driven by a 3% growth in call volumes to UK numbers.
• Outgoing international call volumes increased by 6% compared to Q4 2007 (0.2%) while the number of calls made while roaming abroad increased by 10%.
• SMS and MMS volumes grew by 11% in Q4 2008, higher than any other quarter in 2008.
• The number of post-pay subscribers increased by 2% in Q4 2008, with the number of pre-pay subscribers remaining virtually unchanged (up 0.04%). Post-pay subscribers accounted for 48% of total subscribers in Q4 2008, compared to 45% in Q4 2007.

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European MEPs cut costs of sending texts abroad

Following a vote in favour of such a bill last month in the European Parliament, the European Parliament has now approved legislation which, as of July, will set a maximum charge of 10p a message for a UK customer sending a text from Europe. In addition, mobile phone operators will have to provide clearer information on the cost of surfing the internet and downloading data when abroad. Data roaming and call costs will also be going down. From next year mobile phone users will receive a reminder when they have spent 50 Euros - currently £45 – whilst using these services abroad. Below is a list of the new reduced charges:

• Text message - 11 euro cents (10p; 14 US cents)
• Data downloads - 1 euro per megabyte
• Voice calls - 43 cents per minute (outgoing); 19 cents (receiving)

NOTE - price caps do not include VAT

If you would like some advice on using your mobile phone abroad, whether it be for sending texts, making calls or downloading data abroad, do not hesitate to call Plum on 0161 6223500.

Ofcom have put a pdf guide and a video together highlighting some key issues you should consider when using your mobile abroad

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Ofcom give a thumbs-up for super-fast broadband

Ofcom has announced it will not stand in the way of companies and organisations investing in super-fast broadband services for UK homes and businesses. For UK homes, this will mean that different members of a household will be able to access a variety of high-bandwidth services simultaneously, e.g. TV programmes, online games, music downloads. For UK business, this will mean that businesses will have improved data retrieval, remote access and video conferencing. The 2 main investors in super-fast broadband will be Virgin (who already offer a 50Mb broadband speed) and BT (who aim to offer a 100Mb broadband speed). This Ofcom video shows the benefits of super-fast broadband.



Ofcom’s CEO, Ed Richards, has said "We want to promote investment to support the widespread adoption of superfast broadband but we want to balance that with the need for competition," He added that this would be done in 3 steps:

1. provide the current conditions for investment in fibre
2. look at how to reach the areas not covered by this market-led approach
3. consider the evolution to even faster technologies

This Channel 4 video shows Richards and and Steve Robertson, CEO of BT Openreach, talk about their plans to roll out super-fast broadband across the UK.



Plum are keeping tracks on the progress of super-fast broadband. Click here in order to sign up and find out when super-fast broadband comes available, please start the message with SFB.

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Ofcom will not get in the way of BT’s ROI on 21CN broadband

BT will now not face any obstacles from Ofcom in its plan to spend £1.5 billion pounds on its super-fast broadband network, 21CN. BT’s superfast broadband offers a speed of up to 100Mbps, more than 30 times higher than the current UK average broadband speed of 3.6Mbps. Ofcom’s CEO Ed Richards, in an interview with the Financial Times, has said that Ofcom, “will not be a barrier to this kind of investment”. BT’s CEO Ian Livingston, said that BT was making a lot of progress with Ofcom on the principles of its planned regulatory regime. Still don’t understand what 21CN is? Click here for the answer.

On announcing their plans for 21CN last July, BT declared that it would only push ahead with its plan for their fibre optic broadband internet if Ofcom set terms that allowed it a decent ROI on the service, so with this now being the case BT has push on with their plans. There was some spectism over the issue as BT's investment case rested on the hope that it would be able to charge rival telecoms groups for using its superfast network. Some analysts believe that this investment is of a high risk as they question whether consumers will be willing to pay a premium on using superfast broadband.

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Review of Ofcom Telecoms Report Q3 2008

Ofcom have released their telecoms report for the third quarter, or third 3 months (July - September) in 2008. The report aims to highlight emerging trends in the UK telecoms sector, in order to generate a greater understanding of the sector amongst consumers and businesses alike. As stated on the Ofcom website, the main trends in fixed lines and calls, internet, and mobile phones, were as follows:

Fixed

• BT’s market share of fixed calls and access revenues fell to 57.9% in Q3 2008, some 4.1% lower than it had been in Q3 2007.
• Total call volumes declined by 9% lower between Q3 2007 and Q3 2008, with total business call volumes falling by 5% in the same period.
• Total number of fixed lines and ISDN channels fell by 36,000 to 33.5m in Q3 2008.
• Total fixed calls and access revenues fell by 2% during the quarter to £2.3bn.

Internet

• The total number of residential and SME broadband connections increased by almost 322,000 to 16.9 million in Q3 2008, with LLU broadband connections increasing by 7% during the quarter to over 5 million for the first time.

Mobile

• Total mobile revenue across the four mobile operators increased by 1.5% compared to the previous quarter, driven by an increases in revenue of 2.3% from calls and other charges, whereas revenue from SMS and MMS dropped by 2%.
• The number of total subscribers grew by 1.2% in Q3 2008 to 68.2 million, with contract subscriptions equating to 85% of network connections during Q3 2008.
• At 596 million minutes, the volume of international roaming calls in Q2 2008 was some 11% higher than in Q2 2007, with the volume of outgoing international call minutes increasing by 14% to just under 450 million minutes.
• UK call volumes across the four largest mobile operators feel by 0.05%, in comparison to Q2 2008, the first quarter-on-quarter fall since Q1 2005.

In relation to business users:

• The total number of fixed business lines and ISDN channels has fallen by 1.2% between Q3 2008 and Q3 2007, with BT’s market share declining by 5% in this period.
• The total volume of business calls has fallen by 5.1% between Q3 2008 and Q3 2007, with BT’s market share declining by 4.8% in this period.
• The total revenue of business calls has fallen by 2.8% between Q3 2008 and Q2 2008, and by 10.9% compared to Q3 2007. BT’s market share has dropped 4.9% in the last year.

Click on the following links to view the Q1 and Q2 2008 Ofcom telecoms reports

Q1 2008 Q2 2008

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UK consumers receive an average broadband internet speed of 3.6Mb/s

Ofcom has today brought out the results of its latest consumer research regarding broadband internet speeds in the UK. The report has shown that despite UK consumers having a possible average maximum possible broadband speed of 4.3Mb/s, in reality UK consumer receive an average broadband speed of 3.6Mb/s. The research was carried out over a 30 day period, with approximately 7,000 tests run through monitoring units connected to around 1,500 homes’ broadband routers, resulting in over 10 million separate tests of a range of suppliers’ services. The full report can be views here.

Such a speed is seen as sufficient for many internet applications, such as audio and video applications. However, such a speed is significantly lower than well advertised headline speeds. For example, 60% of UK broadband consumers are subscribed to ‘up to 8Mb/s packages’, but 20% of these receive a speed of less than 2Mb/s and only 45% receive the advertised headline speed.

Ofcom last month addressed this problem by ensuring all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) signed up to the Broadband Speeds Code of Practice, a new Code of Practice which ensures that consumers are provided with an accurate estimate of the maximum speed that they can expect when signing up to a service.

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Ofcom is 5 years old

On 29th December Ofcom will be five years old, after being established on 29th December 2003. Ofcom was set up as a single regulatory body, taking over the duties of the five previous bodies - the Broadcasting Standards Commission, the Independent Television Commission, the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel), the Radio Authority, and the Radiocommunications Agency. Originally solely located in one office in London, Ofcom now has offices throughout the UK. Communications has come a long way in those 5 years, for example: 9 out of 10 people in the UK now have at least 1 digital TV, 60% have broadband internet compared to 7% in 2002, and the number of mobile connections has also risen by almost 50 per cent to reach 74 million. A list of Ofcom’s milestones from 2003-2006 can be found here, and a list of Ofcom’s milestones from 2007-08 can be found here.

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Review of Ofcom Telecoms Report Q2 2008

Ofcom have released their telecoms report for the second 3 months (April - June) in 2008. The report aims to highlight emerging trends in the UK telecoms sector, in order to generate a greater understanding of the sector amongst consumers and businesses alike. As stated on the Ofcom website, the main trends in fixed lines and calls, internet, and mobile phones, were as follows:<

Fixed

• BT’s market share of fixed calls and access revenues stayed at 59.7% in Q2 2008.
• Total call volumes declined by 3% down to 37 billion minutes during the period, some 9% lower that at the same stage in 2007.
• Total number of fixed lines and ISDN channels fell by 63,000 in Q2 2008.

Internet

• The total number of residential and SME broadband connections increased by almost 400,000 to 16.6 million in Q1 2008, with LLU connections account for most of this increase and BT’s retail market share being unchanged at 26.5%

Mobile

• Total mobile revenue across the four mobile operators declined by 1.6% during the quarter, driven by a fall in revenue from calls and other charges.
• Total volume of SMS and MMS messages increased by 4.8% during the quarter; but revenue in this area fell by 1.7% over this same period.
• Contract subscribers grew by 545,000 in Q2 2008 and there was also an increase of 65,000 in prepay subscribers.
• At 506 million minutes, international roaming call volumes in Q2 2008, some 7.7% higher than the 470 million minutes in Q2 2007.

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Granada Congestion-Charge Advert Pulled

Ofcom has announced that a congestion-charge advert, shown in the ITV Granada region between November 6 and 13, was biased towards the introduction of the congestion charge in Manchester, and has consequently been pulled off the air. Ofcom states that the advert publicised a website which was pro-congestion charge, and that the advert itself showed partiality toward the congestion charge. A Greater Manchester transport spokesman said that Ofcom’s ruling was unjustified, as the advert, which cost £230,000 to produce, had been previously approved by an independent body of broadcasters. The full Ofcom review can be seen here.

Just a reminder, you have until 11th December to vote in the congestion charge referendum. Please visit our previous blog entry ‘Manchester Congestion Charge - Yes or No?’ for more information on this.

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