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Ofcom has released two new 116 helpline numbers which will be available in the UK as well as across Europe.

The first number is 116 006 and it will act as a helpline for crime victims. In their announcement Ofcom does not explain quite how easily it will be to remember 116 006 when you’re being mugged. But they do say that it will be a freephone service unless, rather worryingly, a pre-call announcement states that the call will in fact be charged.

Cynics might wonder the value of an emergency number which might include a pre-recorded announcement, when time is of the essence. But, says Ofcom, it’s all part of the European Commission’s ambition to allocate a series of numbers which are of a social value.

The second number is 116 117 and this will be reserved for a non-emergency medical on-call service. Ofcom point out that this number will always be free in the UK, whether the call is made from a public phone, via a mobile, or from a landline.

Ofcom has yet to choose the most appropriate service provider for the two new numbers, but says it will get help in the decision making process from an independent government advisory panel.

These are not the first 116 numbers of course. The first batch were allocated last October and Missing People got what could be described as the best configuration: 116 000. The Samaritans came a close second with 116 123 and the NSPCC got a fair whack with 116 111.

The 116 number is an initiative which has at its heart the idea of creating socially valuable numbers which will work, as a memorable contact point, across all Member States.

Maybe one of the best things about the two new numbers is that we won’t get those two hairy blokes on the television trying to make us remember the new 116 numbers. After all, what do they keep singing, 118 something?

In a move to encourage customers to sign up for inclusive packages, BT has announced that it will increase ordinary call charges by 10% and increase line rental by 50p per month with effect from the beginning of October. These increases come on top of an announcement last month of an increase in call charges from pay phones of 50% (from 40p to 60p).

Customers who want to avoid the increase can do so provided they sign up and pay for a year’s line rental in advance or take one of BTs inclusive call or bundled packages.

Customers also have to accept e-mail only billing as part of the deal.

Consumer groups are up in arms about the increases, pointing out that the insistence on e-mail billing will disproportionately affect the elderly and those in rural areas with poor broadband connections, whilst only the better off will be able to afford to pay one year’s line rental in advance. The one exception is those who qualify for BTs special low income tariff who will be unaffected by the increase.

As far as businesses are concerned, we can see only one logical outcome from this price increase. The rate that businesses, and private customers, will move away from traditional telephone facilities and towards internet based VoIP calls will accelerate. The new BT charges meant that the standard cost of connecting a call in the UK will rise to 10.9p whilst the daytime rate will rise to 6.4p per minute. Compare this with Callagenix’s VoIP to standard UK landline rate of 2p per minute with VoIP to VoIP being free and you can immediately see the attractions of a VoIP package.

Of course, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) can bring other advantages as well as cheap calls. Run your phone package via the Internet and all of a sudden a whole new world of conference calling, virtual switchboards, call recording and storage and improved disaster recovery processes opens up before you. With the added benefit of your phone records being stored by Callagenix, you don’t need to worry about increasing the size of your own computer system and you know that your records are securely backed up in two sites and available whenever you need them.

So if the proposed BT increase does drive more customers away from traditional phone lines and towards VoIP, we can only cheer. With added security, greater flexibility and cheaper calls what business wouldn’t look at VoIP as part of its benchmark for the future.

August is traditionally a slow news month. The press are therefore hungry to hear of human interest and holiday disaster stories to fill the empty pages.

Unfortunately for the papers, one such story relating to high charges for internet mobile access may have gone for ever.

On the 1 July, new EU rules came in which limit the amount that operators can charge to connect to the internet via mobile, dongle or data card. Not only that, once your roaming bill reaches 50 Euros in a month you will have your internet connection suspended. Prices charged for mobile calls, but not for texts, have also fallen from the same date.

In recognition of the fact that there are times when greater connectivity is required abroad, it is possible to contact your mobile operator and arrange either for a higher limit or to opt out of the scheme. However, beware that an opt-out could leave you with high charges and no way of claiming that you didn’t know how much the bill would be.

The majority who stay within the scheme will also be more aware of how much they are being charged. When you travel into a new EU country, the local operator has to send you a text advising how much they will charge you for providing internet services and also the cost of calls. In addition, a reminder will be sent out once 80% of the limit has been reached. Calls have to cost no more than €0.39 per minute to send and no more than €0.15 per minute to receive. The rules on texts remain at no more than €0.11 each to send and free to receive. All these charges will have VAT added on top.

These changes pose an interesting dilemma for those who currently use VoIP to make their calls. VoIP (voice over internet protocol) is a way of making telephone calls over the internet. VoIP to VoIP calls are usually free and VoIP to landline or mobile are usually cheaper than calls from ordinary landlines or mobiles. With a variable charge for using the internet on your phone when abroad, together with reduced calling charges, those with phones which allow internet access will have to take some time to calculate their cheapest method of communication.

On a final warning note, whilst these charges cover most countries in the EU, this excludes Switzerland, Turkey and Croatia. Travelers who decide to go further afield will still need to keep a close eye on their mobile charges so perhaps the press may still have a few stories to fill their papers after all.

On the 17 June, Ofcom announced that it had come to an agreement with three of the biggest UK landline phone companies to cut charges for early termination of contract. BT, Virgin Media and TalkTalk have all agreed to significantly reduce the charges that they apply when a customer gives notice.

Those customers wanting to leave TalkTalk will benefit immediately whilst customers of the other two providers will have to wait until October to benefit.

Ofcom has also announced that it expects other landline providers to make similar cuts in their charges or face enforcement action. The changes will apply to landline packages as well combined landline & broadband packages.

These cuts in charges of up to 85% will be welcomed by consumers. Not only will those moving premises save costs but the cheaper charges gives customers greater freedom to move away from providers who overcharge or give poor service. An uSwitch customer satisfaction survey in February of this year showed overall customer satisfaction ranging from between 71% to 86% for the top four companies. Alarmingly, the perception of whether clients thought their current contract represented the best deal only ranged from 41% to 59%. These results were lower than those for 2009 showing increasing dissatisfaction among phone customers of the top four for the service they receive.

Ofcom brought the cuts in as a result of its interpretation of the “Unfair Terms in Consumer Contract Regulations 1999”. It considered that consumers should not have to pay additional charges if they terminated a contract early as the phone companies would benefit from not having to service that contract. Given the customer satisfaction ratings for the top four, the lower charges are likely to encourage consumers to look around and switch to providers who offer higher levels of satisfaction.

Of course, in an ideal world, other telecommunication companies would follow the lead set by Callagenix and charge on a pay as you go basis. We recognise that the business world moves fast and needs change. Because of this we have a completely flexible approach to services. Whether you need a virtual switchboard or an answer phone service, a new phone number or a competition line, we charge you on a pay as you go rate. We even let prospective clients try our phone service for free before they sign up. We don’t need to charge someone to leave, we believe in providing excellent service so that they stay.