Identifying "Offshore" landline and mobile numbers.

Ian011

Telephone numbers allocated in Guernsey, Isle of Man and Jersey are usually non-inclusive in allowances when called from landline and mobile numbers allocated to providers registered in the UK. Likewise when sending a text message to these offshore numbers, the messages are non-inclusive and charged at some vague, and often unspecified, "standard message rate".

Although there is an Ofcom and ASA requirement to detail these exclusions and list the applicable prefixes and the associated call and message charges, a number of operators have failed to do so.

Below is a list of the various prefixes likely to be encountered. Those starting with 01 are landline numbers. Those starting with 07 are allocated to mobile phones.


Guernsey

01481

077810, 077811, 077812, 077813, 077814, 077815, 077816, 077817, 077818, 077819
078391, 078392, 078397, 078398
079111, 079117.


Isle of Man

01624

074184
074520, 074521, 074522, 074523, 074524, 074525, 074526
074576
076240, 076241, 076242, 076243, 076244, 076245, 076246, 076247, 076248, 076249
079240, 079241, 079242, 079243, 079244, 079246, 079247, 079248, 079249.


Jersey

01534

074572 (a)
074585
075090, 075091, 075092, 075093, 075094, 075095, 075096, 075097
077003, 077007, 077008
077977, 077978, 077979
078297, 078298, 078299
079110 (b)
079370, 079371, 079372, 079373, 079374, 079375, 079376, 079377, 079378, 079379.


Competition authorities in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man are working to reduce the termination rates charged for calls to these numbers such that by mid-2018 the levels will be commensurate with those for calls made to UK mainland numbers. This will enable calls to these places to become inclusive in allowances.

In the meantime, there are a number of dial-through providers offering cheaper calls to these offshore numbers. Some offer inclusive 03, 0845 or 0870 access numbers such that these calls incur no additional charges.

There's some confusion over two of the number ranges, marked above.
(a) - may be Isle of Man.
(b) - may be Guernsey.



Most UK landline and mobile operators also have an additional list of other mobile numbers in the range 071 to 075 and 077 to 079 that are non-inclusive in allowances. These are numbers used by various automated or interactive services including those providing gateways for making cheap calls to international destinations. They are collectively referred to as "non-mobile" numbers.

On 1 May 2015 Ofcom capped the termination rates payable on incoming calls to all UK numbers starting 071 to 075 and 077 to 079 thereby removing the basis for these services to charge additional fees. As such, these additional lists of exclusions should no longer exist.

See also: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5295051



Mobile numbers start with 071 to 075, 07624, or 077 to 079. Other numbers in the 07 range are not mobile numbers. Numbers starting 070 are personal numbers charged at a premium rate. Numbers starting 076 (except 07624) are used by pagers. Numbers starting 070 and 076 do not count towards inclusive allowances. Ofcom is due to review the 055, 056, 070 and 076 ranges in the near future.

Atasas

bleedin' chaos, if you'd ask me...
Thanks for the info