Review of corporate numbering and use of the 05 number range

Elizabeth Greenberg

Numbering Policy Adviserelizabeth.greenberg@oftel.gov.uk

Content of presentation

• consultation

• background and current position

• corporate numbering

• focus on VoIP

• outstanding issues

The consultation

• consultation document to be published in next few days

• 12 week consultation period• Oftel responsible for managing the

Scheme• consultation central to Oftel’s formulation

of policy• deliberately ‘green’ and wide-reaching

Background and current position

• 1997 consultation proposed designation of 05 range for corporate numbering

• statement reserved range and included interim guidelines for allocation

• since then Oftel has received enquiries from interested operators and businesses

• blocks allocated/reserved for VoIP multimedia services for corporate customers

Corporate numbering

• meeting of businesses’ needs through the opportunities delivered by their own identifiable number range– simplifies management of networks, integrating

voice, data and mobile– greater freedom to negotiate with operator(s)– increases ownership and flexibility in use of

numbers– delivers new range of multimedia services

Benefits

for businesses– developed for express use– direct allocation & increased control– non-geo & no overlay required – access to pool of numbers– integrate and rationalise numbering plans– greater opportunity for competitive

tendering

Additional benefits

• for operators– dynamic marketplace– IP networks = cost & efficiency

savings

• general– relieve pressure on geo numbering– 05 number a recognisable identifier

of called party

Disadvantages

• acknowledged there may be some barriers to adoption and uncertainty over how corporate numbering may develop– low consumer perception of range– migration = expense and disruption– European/Global solution may be preferred– loss of operator control over numbering

Review of demand

• over past year, Oftel has conducted an informal review of market demand– Large Business User Panel– market research– European dimension– discussions with interested parties

• concluded there is a potential market

Focus on VoIP

• the 05 range was reserved in 1997 when the telecoms market had very different characteristics and consumers different requirements

• converged networks need a solution that can offer interoperability and a unified means of contact

• VoIP likely driver for corporate numbering

Combining corporate numbering with VoIP

• Oftel believes the best use of the 05 range may be a combination of the characteristics of the corporate number service with VoIP

• high level of interest in combined service

• examined existing non-geo ranges and concluded 05 most appropriate, leading to allocations for combined services

Intro to outstanding issues

• Oftel believes there is a demand for a corporate numbering service

• uncertainty over outstanding issues may have caused potentially interested parties to refrain from pursuing allocations

• some complex and require further work with industry and interested parties

• hoped other issues may be resolved through responses to consultation

Outstanding issuesservice application

– new type of service to develop with market

– Oftel does not intend to prescribe the type of service that businesses may offer on 05 numbers

allocation criteria - current eligibility– usual allocation procedures to apply until

implementation of Authorisation Directive– most businesses operate under the SPL and are

not currently eligible to apply– sub-allocated numbers may have specific

conditions attached to aid businesses’ control

Outstanding issuesallocation criteria - direct allocation to end users

– success of corporate numbering depends on increased ownership for businesses

– requirements of Authorisation Directive will lead to fundamental change in UK telecoms’ regulation

– everyone entitled to provide any kind of communication network or service without a licence

– draft Communications Bill allows the setting of conditions relating to the allocation of telephone numbers to persons who are not communication providers and their use of the numbers

Outstanding issuesallocation criteria - third party eligibility

– need to ensure that corporate numbering meets as many of its potential users’ needs as possible

– should there be a set of eligibility criteria specific to businesses applying for corporate numbers?

– third parties may wish to offer corporate network services to groups of businesses forming a pseudo corporate network

– businesses may wish to converge networks with third parties in supply chain by sub-allocating numbers

Outstanding issuessub-structure of 05 number range

– do not wish to overcomplicate range if no benefit delivered by sub-categories

– however, could be considered if felt beneficial to have differences in cost or type of service indicated by first few digits of number

number length– Oftel intends to follow 10-digit structure for 05– extension = significant disruption to networks– short digit numbers might be considered if there is a

demand and the industry finds them workable

Outstanding issuessize of number block and size of allocation

– given the constraints imposed by block routing, Oftel intends to allocate multiples of 10,000 numbers

retail pricing– Oftel supports a fixed cost tariff ceiling – to ensure consumer confidence, the ceiling should

be relatively low – level of tariff granularity also to be considered.

Possibly a two-tiered tariff structure set, for example, at 5p and 10p

– issue of retail pricing deliberately left open

Outstanding issuesinterconnection arrangements

– revenue sharing models should basically reflect the addition of value to a call

– corporate numbering generally seen as a substitute for geographic numbering, suggesting geographic system of revenue sharing should apply

– however, terminating operator is likely to add value and takes commercial risk in launching service

– suggests an interconnect model preserving originating operator expectations of profit based on an average retention from geographic calls

Outstanding issuesrouting arrangements

– corporate numbering must be able to function across private, virtual private and public networks

– businesses with direct allocations of numbers would need to nominate a service providing operator to route calls to specified points of entry to their private network

– for data management procedures, each corporate numbering block would be programmed as if it was allocated to the service providing operator and calls routed accordingly

Outstanding issuesCLI and emergency authorities

– when emergency calls are made from 05 numbers, it will be necessary to ensure the CLI is matched to a postcode from which the appropriate emergency authority can be identified

CPS– 05 numbers are included in the CPS ‘all calls’ option

and will attract the ppm surcharge

portability– the industry will be asked to consider the

implications of corporate numbering

Summary• consultation document to be published

very shortly

• please consider and comment

• opportunities for Oftel, industry and interested parties to work together during the consultation period

• depending on demand, there may be an extraordinary Numbering Forum to look exclusively at corporate numbering