Ofcom - 1997

January The final phase of the UK National Numbering Scheme was announced by Oftel. The plans included changes in area codes for London, Northern Ireland, Cardiff, and Portsmouth and Southampton to be introduced in the year 2000. Also covered were non-geographic services such as Mobile, Paging and Personal numbers and special services such as freephone and local rate services.

February Oftel published a package of measures designed to ensure that everyone can gain affordable access to the telephone, including a new BT “Lifeline” scheme to be introduced later in the year which would give telephone access for emergency and incoming calls only.

March  Oftel ordered BT to drop its “Winback” marketing campaign on the grounds that BT had discriminated unduly in targeting other operator’s customers and that BT had failed to obtain Oftel’s consent to the below-cost element of the offer.

WHICH magazine published a comparision of different telecoms company’s tariffs for residential customers.

April Oftel launched proposals for full telephone number portability between operators.

August a determination was issued confirming that Mercury would no longer be considered a Well-Established Operator on certain international rates and regulatory restraints would be lifted.

Plans were announced for the ‘05’ range of numbers to be used for corporate numbering. The choice to use the 05 number range would be voluntary and could benefit businesses, as consumers will be able to identify the business by its unique code.

In September in response to Oftel's rules designed to bring lower call prices for low-spending customers BT announced they were to cut evening national call rates by 10%.

October – Mobile number portability should be available to consumers by all the mobile operators by the end of 1998.

A new agreement to put schools on the information superhighway was announced on 7 October. It means that every school in the UK can have internet access with predictable bills, at low levels for all-day usage.

Oftel called on telecom operators to share telegraph poles and cabling ducts, more details are available from the statement.

In November Oftel named companies who are still failing to provide customers with comparable information about their quality of service.

Oftel announced an investigation into BT's plans to raise the price it charges other telecoms operators for the use of BT’s payphones.

More than 350 telecoms companies now have the fair trading condition incorporated into their licences.

December – Speaking at the FT World Telecommunications Conference in London, the Director General of Telecommunications said that new regulators could learn key lessons from the UK success story.

Oftel announced that wider consultation on corporate numbers was necessary in response to operators who expressed a need to carry out more research before they entered the market.

Following pressure from Oftel, telephone companies will be offering Outgoing Calls Barred (OCB) service instead of disconnection. This lets customers pay off their debts over an agreed time while still having access to a phone. Access to 999 and 150 services will still be available.

Oftel has secured an agreement with major telephone operators to provide number portability.  Until recently only BT had an obligation to provide number portability.  New agreements announced mean that phone users will be able to switch telephone companies and keep the same number.

Read about Ofcom 1998 »

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