Closure of 0500 range
Calls to 0500 numbers were free of charge for anyone calling from a landline and the called party paid a Call Origination Fee to compensate the caller's telephone provider for the fact that the caller has paid nothing for the call. Callers using a mobile phone could pay up to 55p per minute for calls to 0500 numbers.
Announced by Ofcom on 3 June 2014, the 0500 range of 'freephone' numbers was set to close on 3 June 2017. All users of 0500 numbers had to change their number before that date otherwise end up being cut off. The Fair Telecoms Campaign wholly supported Ofcom's decision.
All users of 0500 numbers had the option to move to the matching 0808 5 number. The new number is one digit longer than the old number and retains the final six digits of the old number. Calls to 0800 and 0808 numbers are free-to-caller on landlines and on mobiles. The called party pays a Call Origination Fee to compensate the caller's phone provider for the fact that the caller has paid nothing for the call. Where incoming calls originate from a mobile phone, the Call Origination Fee is slightly higher than for calls originating from a landline.
Where an organisation needs the technical facilities offered by a non-geographic number, another option to consider is the 03 range of numbers. These were first introduced in 2007. Calls to 03 numbers are inclusive on landlines and mobiles else are charged at 'geographic rate' - the same as for calls to 01 and 02 numbers. Most people call these numbers using their inclusive calls allowance and hence incur no charge for individual calls. This applies on landlines and on mobiles, even on pay-as-you-go.
Despite there being three years warning of the change, many organisations left it too late and then had to scramble to organise a replacement number as well as updating their website, email signatures, document templates, leaflets, brochures, business cards, invoices and signage, etc, with the new number. At the point the 0500 range ceased to exist (late afternoon on 5 June 2017), all provisions - including any Changed Number Announcements - also ceased to work on that date.
The Fair Telecoms Campaign found a substantial number of organisations still actively promoting 0500 numbers on their websites and elsewhere in the months and weeks leading up to the change and engaged with very many of them. We found that most were either completely unaware of the change or had been told about it years ago and had put it off - and were surprised to find the date was now almost upon them. The Fair Telecoms Campaign was concerned to find that telecoms providers had not been actively contacting their customers to inform them of the changes, or organisations using these numbers had ignored the warnings.
Announced by Ofcom on 3 June 2014, the 0500 range of 'freephone' numbers was set to close on 3 June 2017. All users of 0500 numbers had to change their number before that date otherwise end up being cut off. The Fair Telecoms Campaign wholly supported Ofcom's decision.
All users of 0500 numbers had the option to move to the matching 0808 5 number. The new number is one digit longer than the old number and retains the final six digits of the old number. Calls to 0800 and 0808 numbers are free-to-caller on landlines and on mobiles. The called party pays a Call Origination Fee to compensate the caller's phone provider for the fact that the caller has paid nothing for the call. Where incoming calls originate from a mobile phone, the Call Origination Fee is slightly higher than for calls originating from a landline.
Where an organisation needs the technical facilities offered by a non-geographic number, another option to consider is the 03 range of numbers. These were first introduced in 2007. Calls to 03 numbers are inclusive on landlines and mobiles else are charged at 'geographic rate' - the same as for calls to 01 and 02 numbers. Most people call these numbers using their inclusive calls allowance and hence incur no charge for individual calls. This applies on landlines and on mobiles, even on pay-as-you-go.
Despite there being three years warning of the change, many organisations left it too late and then had to scramble to organise a replacement number as well as updating their website, email signatures, document templates, leaflets, brochures, business cards, invoices and signage, etc, with the new number. At the point the 0500 range ceased to exist (late afternoon on 5 June 2017), all provisions - including any Changed Number Announcements - also ceased to work on that date.
The Fair Telecoms Campaign found a substantial number of organisations still actively promoting 0500 numbers on their websites and elsewhere in the months and weeks leading up to the change and engaged with very many of them. We found that most were either completely unaware of the change or had been told about it years ago and had put it off - and were surprised to find the date was now almost upon them. The Fair Telecoms Campaign was concerned to find that telecoms providers had not been actively contacting their customers to inform them of the changes, or organisations using these numbers had ignored the warnings.
Postscript
Although the cut-off date was officially Saturday 3 June 2017, in order to minimise disruption to businesses, Ofcom arranged with industry providers to leave the last of these numbers running until the following Monday - 5 June 2017. We issued a briefing a few days before the cut off date.
All remaining 0500 numbers ceased to exist late in the afternoon of 5 June 2017. As expected, a number of organisations had made no plans to migrate to a new number and were simply cut off. Within a few days some had taken action but more than two months later others still have not done so.
All remaining 0500 numbers ceased to exist late in the afternoon of 5 June 2017. As expected, a number of organisations had made no plans to migrate to a new number and were simply cut off. Within a few days some had taken action but more than two months later others still have not done so.
Amended: 2017-08-08
