Transcript Review of corporate numbering and use of the 05 number range

Review of corporate numbering and
use of the 05 number range
Elizabeth Greenberg
Numbering Policy Adviser
[email protected]
Content of presentation
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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 issues
service 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 issues
allocation 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 issues
allocation 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 issues
sub-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 issues
size 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 issues
interconnection 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 issues
routing 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 issues
CLI 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