Ofcom Plans to Make 0800 Free For Mobiles

Telecoms regulator Ofcom today published proposals that would mean calling an 0800 number would be free for mobile and smartphone users.

Ofcom said this would clear up confusion about how much it costs to call businesses offering an 0800 number, as operators still charge for mobile calls to them.

Consumer confusion

“Consumers are often confused about how much they will pay to call these number ranges. Under our proposals, people will have much clearer information and there will be greater competition on prices,” said Ed Richards, chief executive of Ofcom.

“By making calls to 0800 numbers free from all phones, we will clear up any uncertainty about making calls, especially from mobiles, to the benefit of consumers and service providers alike.”

Consumers will also be made more aware of how much of their money goes to operators and how much to the business. They will be told how much, in pence per minute, goes to the phone company and the company providing the service.

According to Ofcom, a mobile user calling an 0800 number would likely hear something like this: “This call will cost you X pence per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.”

Currently, callers are told: “This call will cost you X pence per minute on a BT line, calls may vary on other landline and cost considerably more on a mobile.” Ofcom thinks this is not transparent enough for consumers.

Operators will see a hit from such changes, just as they will through proposed changes to roaming rules. The European Parliament and European Commission announced last week they had reached a preliminary deal on EU roaming rules, which will force mobile operators to reduce the prices of making a call or downloading data when abroad.

How much do you know about smartphones? Test yourself with our quiz.