The regulator, Ofcom, have recently confirmed new rules will be coming into effect from June 2015 concerning Freephone numbers. At present calls to 0800 and 0808 numbers are only free if used from a landline with mobile phone users having to pay between 14p and 40p per minute. From next summer, as part of the UK Calling changes, these numbers will become free for consumers to call from mobile phones, as they are from landlines.
As well as making Freephone numbers free to call from a mobile, Ofcom plans to introduce additional measures to tackle ‘customer confusion’, such as:
- Capping premium rate (09) numbers: that charge ridiculously expensive prices per minute and are often used by rogue operators to scam callers.
- Encouraging businesses to utilise the 03 number: which doesn’t cost any more to call than a geographic 01 or 02 number and will be included in mobile calling plans.
- Splitting the cost of 0845 numbers into an access and service charge: rather than the standard “calls from mobiles may cost considerably more”, callers will be charged a fixed price per minute plus an access charge – as set by the network.
The rules will not come into effect until 26 June 2015 to allow companies and service providers to make the changes. A nationwide communications campaign will begin next year to explain the call charge changes. This is part of a major consumer telecoms shake up, following on from a new directive that came into force in June 2014 that made it illegal to use 0845, 0870 and other non-geographical numbers for lines that deal with customer complaints, enquiries, renewals and cancellations. You can visit the Ofcom website to find out more information on the UK Calling Campaign.
Our dedicated Customer Support team work hard to keep up to date with the latest trends and news from within the telecommunications’ industry. Our clients are given a choice of geographic and premium rate numbers and we will support clients with any changes that Ofcom implements. Please see our Calls2Account pages for more information, or contact a member of our Customer Support Team to discuss your requirements.