Oftel under fire as BT tries to buy up 'easy' 118 number

RAVI CHANDIRAMANI

May 30, 2002

How long?

3-4 minutes

Oftel under fire as BT tries to buy up 'easy' 118 number

Companies entering the UK's newly deregulated directory enquiry market have attacked telecoms regulator Oftel for failing to prevent BT from buying the most marketable numbers.

Oftel handed out the new six-digit DQ numbers starting '118' in a draw to around 80 applicants last Tuesday.

Having failed to draw an easily memorised number, BT has offered to buy the more memorable 118118 number from business carrier Leaf Telecom, which drew the number in last week's lottery.

Telegate, one of Europe's biggest DQ companies set to enter the UK market, is this week writing to Oftel director-general David Edmonds and alerting MPs to prevent applicants selling their numbers to the highest bidder.

Oftel has said it cannot intervene in events after the draw.

The numbers come into effect in October with the existing 192 service phased out in August 2003. Deregulation will enable consumers to dial whichever DQ provider they choose, regardless of their phone network.