Is your provider still charging extra for 'non-mobile' numbers?

Ian011

Whenever you call a number on another network, your provider has to pay a Termination Fee to that other network. Only those calls with a low termination fee are inclusive in call allowances. This is why the price plans offered by mobile operators have inclusive calls to standard UK mobile numbers but not to 070 and 076 numbers, nor to some other 07 numbers.

The 07 prefix is divided by Ofcom across several different types of service:
070 is used for personal numbering charged at a premium rate with termination rates of 40p per minute or more.
076 (except 07624) is used for pagers, also with various high termination rates.
Mobile phones use 071-075 and 077-079 but there are some important points to note with these latter two ranges.

Calls to mobile numbers in Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man currently incur termination charges almost double those of ordinary mobile numbers. Most networks therefore exclude these calls from allowances.

Termination fees for calls to mobile numbers were once (back in the 1990s) 25p per minute or more. Mobile contracts originally had no inclusive calls. It didn't matter that the 07 range was used for a mix of services. They all had high termination rates and were all expensive to call.

Later on, some mobile contracts began to have a small number of inclusive calls, but only to the same network. As termination rates fell, cross-network inclusive calls became possible. At the same time, personal numbers and pagers were left exposed as being much more expensive calls. Bill shock became an issue as did various scams involving 070 numbers. Revenue sharing was banned on 070 numbers in 2009 but a plan to move these numbers to the unused 06 range was abandoned. Providers were told to list the cost of calling 070, 084, 087 and 09 numbers in close proximity to the costs for calls to 01, 02, 03 and standard mobile numbers.

Also by 2009, termination rates for ordinary mobile numbers had fallen to about 4p per minute. At this point, Ofcom intervened in the market. Since April 2010, Ofcom has imposed a cap on mobile termination rates and has reduced it annually. As the rate fell, the number of inclusive minutes has dramatically increased. The rate cap has applied only on calls made to the main mobile networks. Other networks were told to charge 'fair and reasonable rates'.

Among the mobile numbers are a number of prefixes used for various automated and interactive services including dial-through services, all with high termination rates which pay for the service that was accessed. These calls are non-inclusive from other networks. There are also some smaller mobile operators with high termination rates. They use this income to reduce the cost of outgoing calls from their own network but with the disadvantage that calls to their network are non-inclusive from other mobile networks.

These services are collectively known as "non-mobile" numbers and the prefixes commonly include:

074060, 074061, 074062, 074063, 074064, 074065, 074066, 074067, 074068, 074069, 074171, 074172, 074176, 074177, 074179, 074181, 074182, 074185, 074186, 074188, 074390, 074391, 074409, 074410, 074411, 074412, 074414, 074415, 074417, 074418, 074419, 074515, 074516, 074517, 074572, 074574, 074577, 074578, 074579, 074580, 074581, 074582, 074583, 074584, 074588, 074653, 074655, 075200, 075201, 075203, 075204, 075205, 075207, 075208, 075209, 075370, 075373, 075375, 075376, 075377, 075378, 075379, 075590, 075591, 075592, 075593, 075595, 075597, 075598, 075599, 075710, 075718, 075890, 075891, 075892, 075893, 075898, 075899, 077000, 077001, 077442, 077443, 077444, 077445, 077446, 077447, 077448, 077449, 077530, 077552, 077553, 077554, 077555, 078220, 078221, 078222, 078224, 078225, 078226, 078227, 078229, 078644, 078722, 078727, 078730, 078744, 078745, 078922, 078925, 078930, 078931, 078933, 078938, 078939, 079110, 079112, 079118, 079245, 079780, 079781, 079782, 079783, 079784, 079785, 079786, 079787, 079789.

On 1 May 2015, Ofcom reduced the Mobile Termination Rate from 0.84p to 0.68p per minute. Crucially, they also extended this cap to cover all UK usage of numbers starting 071-075 and 077-079 including all of those prefixes in the list above. In one easy move Ofcom removed the basis for these calls being non-inclusive and more expensive. The 'non-mobile' category should no longer exist. Users of these numbers can no longer fund their service by charging high termination fees. Some have moved to a pre-pay or account-based model while others have moved to more appropriate 084 or 087 numbers where they can properly declare a Service Charge. Others have simply closed down.

If your provider is still treating these prefixes differently, you're being misled. Note that calls to Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man numbers remain non-inclusive and expensive as they have their own regulator, their own government and therefore remain outside of Ofcom control.

Once the current major project re-organising 08 and 09 numbers is finished, Ofcom will move on to reviewing 055, 056, 070 and 076. They have already reviewed 0500 and these numbers will be phased out by 3 June 2017.

redux

Ian011 wrote: »

If your provider is still treating these prefixes differently, you're being misled.

I won't be amazed if this takes some time

They were already misleading people by describing the whole lot as non-mobile numbers. At one time I had 3 SIM cards with phone numbers in those ranges, and I know people who have a couple of other prefixes.

At one stage I obtained 2 Vectone SIMs, and discovered that giffgaff included one and not the other. They later changed to include them all.

Ian011

It all hinges on the Termination Rates. It is quite possible that Vectone charged high rates for incoming calls on some of their ranges. I suspect the same for LycaMobile and others in the early days. High termination rates for incoming calls allows them to reduce the cost of outgoing calls made from their network.

The maximum allowed rate is currently 0.68p per minute for calls to standard mobile numbers. Your mobile provider knows that if someone purchases, say, a 1000 minute per month deal and uses the full allowance to call mobile numbers on other networks, that they will have to pay out £6.80 in termination fees. Knowing what percentage of the allowances are used and the costs of providing allowances for text messages and data, they can set their retail prices for their monthly packages.

If they were to charge, say, £20 for this particular package and then include calls to numbers with a 10p per minute termination rate, they would leave themselves open to abuse where customers buy this package and then make the full allowance of calls to those expensive numbers thereby causing the network to have to pay out £100 in termination fees - five times more than the customer paid for the package. If a large percentage of their customers do this, they lose money and go out of business.

Now that Ofcom has unified the maximum allowed termination rate for calls to standard mobile numbers, this should no longer happen. It is possible that some providers are still charging termination rates for calls to their numbers above the new limit, and it will take some time to resolve this once reported. As the originating network also profits from the arrangement, there may also be a reluctance to report it.

Even if there are a few providers still exceeding the limits, I would expect the list of "non-mobile" prefixes to rapidly diminish as the majority comply, leaving just a small number remaining while disputes are settled and compliance enforced.

Ofcom will continue to reduce the Mobile Termination Rate in annual steps. By April 2017 it is expected to be about 0.51p per minute. This is just below the current termination rate of 0.56p per minute for calls to 03 numbers. That's the point where landline operators should be able to routinely offer inclusive calls to mobile numbers from landlines. Some have already started to do this.

Ian011

On 1 April 2016, Ofcom reduced the Mobile Termination Rate cap down to 0.51p per minute, making it slightly lower than the termination rate for calls to 03 numbers. The rate applies to all UK mobile numbers starting 071-075 and 077-079. It does not apply to mobile numbers allocated in Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man and it does not apply to personal numbers starting 070 or pager numbers starting 076.

Some landline and mobile providers continue to have a "non-mobile numbers" category and charge extra for these calls. This is either because:
- some range holders continue to set their termination rate above the allowed cap set by Ofcom
- the people setting the retail call charges are unaware that termination rates for those ranges have been capped
- it's a deliberate anti-competitive move to charge calls to certain ranges at a high rate
- it's a simple way to boost profits while (falsely) blaming someone else, or
- it's just incompetence, as demonstrated on a regular basis.

Anyone encountering high call charges for calls to any of the prefixes mentioned in table 5 or table 7 of Ofcom's "Final Statement on MTR caps for 2014 to 2017" should make a complaint to Ofcom.

The "final statement" document can be found here:
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations-and-statements/category-1/mobile-call-termination-14
and the relevant prefixes were also listed in the first post of this thread.


Additionally, there is now no excuse for landline providers to not include calls to mobile numbers within inclusive allowances. Most providers do. Plusnet recently started doing so, joining Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and others. This is usually on the anytime call plans, rarely on limited weekend or evening and weekend call packages. BT continues to hold out.

d123

Ian011 wrote: »

Additionally, there is now no excuse for landline providers to not include calls to mobile numbers within inclusive allowances. Most providers do. Plusnet recently started doing so, joining Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and others. BT continues to hold out.

Virgin Media don't include mobile numbers in their standard package, they even charge the higher rate for calls to their own Virgin Mobile numbers during the day/evening.

Standard call rate is 12p per minute to landlines and just under 20p per minute to mobiles peak and 14p off peak.

The free weekend calls option is only to landline and Virgin numbers as well, other mobiles are chargeable at around 14p per minute (plus the extortionate 17.5p call connection charge they still charge)

Ian011

With Virgin Media, in order to get inclusive calls to mobile numbers you used to have to get the £15 per month call package but this also had inclusive calls to various international destinations.

As of at least several months ago, the £8 per month anytime calls package also includes calls to mobile numbers starting 071-075 and 077-079 on top of the usual inclusive calls to 01, 02 and 03 numbers.

Anyone on a weekend call package or evening and weekend call package and making chargeable calls during the week, will rapidly find they are on the wrong package. Just ten to fifteen minutes of weekday calls per week will push the bill higher than the anytime call plan.

d123

Ian011 wrote: »

With Virgin Media, in order to get inclusive calls to mobile numbers you used to have to get the £15 per month call package but this also had inclusive calls to various international destinations.

As of at least several months ago, the £8 per month anytime calls package also includes calls to mobile numbers starting 071-075 and 077-079 on top of the usual inclusive calls to 01, 02 and 03 numbers.

, will rapidly find they are on the wrong package.
Anyone on a weekend package and making chargeable calls during the week
Just ten to fifteen minutes of weekday calls per week will push the bill higher than the anytime call plan.

That may be so, I was just clarifying the incorrect assertion that Virgin

include calls to mobile numbers within inclusive allowances.

when they only do so on the more expensive packages.

Ian011

Yes. Most landline providers offering inclusive calls to mobile numbers do so only on their anytime packages or above.

Point taken. I have added a few words to the earlier post to clarify.

Ian011

On 1 April 2017, Ofcom reduced the cap on mobile termination rates to 0.49p per minute. The cap applies to all UK operators using numbers starting 071-075 or 077-079.

Shortly after, Ofcom opened an investigation into mobile operators charging termination rates above the cap.

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Giffgaff has been caught charging extra for calls and texts to some mobile numbers on the Three network.
See: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5644440
They also publish a long list of other mobile prefixes that are excluded from allowances.

Their claim is that these are premium rate "non-mobile" number ranges. This despite changes to Ofcom regulations effective 1 May 2015 that eliminated the basis (high termination rates) for this.

Ian011

Ofcom's investigation into the mobile termination rates charged for incoming calls to UK mobile numbers has recently closed with the conclusion that there is no evidence of any providers, large or small, charging rates above the cap set by Ofcom.

As such, there is now no reason for landline or mobile providers to have a category of "non-mobile" numbers which are excluded from allowances and/or charged at higher rates. The first post in this thread lists various prefixes that continue to be charged this way. Some landline and mobile providers maintain they do pay higher termination charges for calls to these numbers. Ofcom's investigation has shown this to be not true.

redux wrote: »

I won't be amazed if this takes some time.

You were correct. There has been little or no change in more than two years.

Charging extra for these calls cannot be justified. However, it is unclear for those that do whether this is simple incompetence or pure profiteering.

Ian011

Ofcom currently has a consultation covering reduction of mobile termination rates in the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 for mobile numbers allocated in the UK and which terminate in the UK. The proposals continue with reducing the rate.

The Ofcom proposals re-iterate the cap on termination rates covers all UK mobile numbers starting 071 to 075 and 077 to 079. This confirms the "non-mobile" category of numbers should have ceased to exist. Any providers persisting with this are now clearly seen to be profiteering.

The Ofcom proposals also cover closing a loophole where mobile numbers allocated in CI and IoM and which terminate in the UK were not explicitly covered by the cap on mobile termination rates.

Termination rates for mobile numbers allocated in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man and which terminate there are covered by competition regulations in those jurisdictions. By some time in 2018, those rates should be the same as the UK rates.