British Telecom Providing Phone calls to 0870 and 0845 Numbers Cost Nothing
This week’s landmark news that BT is to be the first United Kingdom telephone company to ensure calls to 0870 numbers and 0845 numbers are without charge, is likely to be welcomed with rapturous applause from consumers and campaigner organisations alike.
0870 numbers particularly, have been the subject of much off-putting press over the past few and this is mainly due to the high price to call them the fact that a few businesses make cash from phone calls to these numbers (particularly annoying for clients ringing and after-sales help).
Using these numbers in the public sector has also faced a great deal of scrutiny and the Department of Health has at this point begun a consultation in a bid to review the application of them in the NHS.
There are even groups that have been particularly organised to work against these phone numbers, for example saynoto0870.com.
When they were brought in, 0845 numbers used to be charged at local rate, whereas 0870 numbers used to be national rate to call. This is not the fact anymore with the bringing in of free quota minutes and call packages offered by mobile and landline companies and is likely to be the main cause for BT’s new billing scheme for its residential customers.
British Telecom currently has about a 60% market share so it appears probable that the other main players in the telecoms arena will go the same way – including Sky, Virgin Media, Talk Talk and Tiscali, who at present bill between 26 pence and £1.07 for a ten minute call to an 0870/0845 number (as of 8th January 2009).
Although this massive leap is in the right route for BT’s residential customers, it’s must be noted that 40% of all United Kingdom calls made in 2007 were made using mobile phones (Ofcom 2008). So, while some of BT’s landline callers look ready for a great bargain, mobile callers will continue to pay around 20-30 pence per minute to call 0870/0845 numbers.
For organisations that would prefer to provide their landline and mobile callers an exceptional bargain, 03 numbers are still the clear solution.
03 numbers cost callers the same to call as standard landline numbers- even from a mobile phone – at any time. They are also incorporated in the free minutes bundles that are offered by all major mobile and landline providers.
The 03 number range is split into 3 parts:
-0303/0300 numbers entirely for charities and public sector bodies.
-0330 / 0333 numbers for any business or organisation.
-03 equivalent numbers for businesses that at present have an 08 number and want to exchange it for 03.
Organisations are at present taking advantage of the enormous potential of 03 numbers, including the BBC, the Metropolitan Police, Pioneer, Oxfam and the RSPCA.
03 numbers are also being advocated by the Department of Health as the perfect choice to 08 numbers for National Health Service services that want to help from the extra services that 08 numbers can provide (like caller options and call queuing etc.) and at the same time offering their callers a improved deal.
In all, BT’s newest decision will save its residential clients an estimated £24m a year. This development not only underlines the significance and reputation of non-geographic telephone numbers, it also strengthens the argument for providing clients a fairer deal at all times. In this instance, 03 numbers still have no equal.
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