23 June 2008
Warnings from industry regulator Ofcom are going unheeded by a number of phone companies, as some firms seek to increase the premiums paid by consumers on 0870 numbers. The watchdog called for companies to avoid raising rates on such numbers any further, but T-Mobile, BSkyB and Tiscali have all gone against these suggestions. According to Tim Wolfenden, head of home services at price comparison website uSwitch.com, "not everyone is going to listen" to Ofcom. The regulator wanted 0870 numbers to fall in line with the cost of regular numbers, but since it made these suggestions BSkyB has increased calls by 10p a minute, while the rate has been upped by 8p a minute by Tiscali. Recently, Vodafone was recognised for its internet capabilities by LCC International. It said that the mobile phone operator was the most reliable when it comes to downloading files and uploading pages.