Are you aware that at present mobile networks can charge their users up to 35p per minute to call a UK Freephone number?
Ahead of connecting the call, the network provider will often play a Pre-Call Announcement (PCA) or ask you to redial the Freephone number, dropping the first zero. The purpose of this is to warn the caller that Freephone 080x numbers are not necessarily free. As such, very few 080x calls actually originate from the mobile networks.
Changes are coming
As of 1st July 2015 Ofcom is introducing new regulations that will entitle mobile users to free calls to all UK 080x services. At the same time these regulations will allow mobile operators to pass on their reasonable costs to the terminating operator. These costs will, in turn, be passed back to you – the business (and 080x number) owner. In other words, you’ll see a higher cost for your 080x incoming calls than if they came from a fixed line.
What this means for your business
Once the calls become free and the PCAs are removed by the mobile networks, anything from 20% to 70% of your incoming calls to 080x numbers may soon originate from a mobile phone. As the owner of the 080x number, this change will mean that as of 1st July 2015 the cost of receiving an incoming call from a mobile will increase substantially.
The solution
Whilst this may seem daunting there is a solution that can help you to avoid this increase in costs. By moving your 080x number over to an 03 alternative you’ll avoid the charges that are soon to be attributed to a Freephone number.
Moving to an 03 telephone prefix has a number of benefits for your business including:
- Financial stability in line with current 080x costs
- 03 numbers are unaffected by the changes on the 1st July 2015
- 03 numbers are widely used by both fixed and mobile callers
- Most mobile networks include 03 numbers in their bundled minute tariffs
For full details contact Spectrum and we can help your business navigate these changes call us on 0808 178 6001, email us at info@spectrum-coms.co.uk or fill out the contact form below and we’ll be intouch
