After years of having to pay for your calls to 0800 numbers from your mobile, Ofcom has stepped in and are looking to have the presently sky high charges reduced to zero. Under Ofcom proposals all calls to Freephone 0800 numbers would be free from both landlines and mobile phones.
Calls made to a 0800 number from a standard landline are free, but the UK telecommunications watchdog has released information that mobile phone users in 2009 spent some £1.9 billion dialling this ‘free’ number at a typical cost of 40p per minute.
The concern is that consumers need far greater transparency about the price they pay for calls, so that they can make more informed choices and so competition can work more effectively and ultimately improve trust in these important services. Many associations over the years have been campaigning to see a reduction in the cost of calling freephone numbers from mobile phones, the main culprits being charity helplines or TV game shows.
If, after a consultation period Ofcom’s proposals are accepted, then the new free 0800 number rates would be introduced over the coming 24 months.
