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0800 numbers are now free to call from mobiles
Before dialling an unfamiliar service number, many of us feel an overwhelming sense of dread. Not just for 0800 and 0808 "freephone" numbers, which are now free to call from a mobile, but numbers starting with 084, 087 and 09 too. From experience, you know what they represent: expensive call charges. Worse yet, it's almost impossible to know how much you'll be spending. When the latter are advertised on TV, you'll usually hear something along the lines of: "Calls cost 50p from a BT landline. Other landlines may vary and calls from mobiles may cost considerably more." It's confusing because the costs vary wildly depending on your operator and the number you're calling, and neither charge is explained properly in advance. Most of us just dial the number anyway and hope for the best, or try to avoid the call entirely. It's a mess, but from today everything is going to change. Ofcom has introduced a new system that makes call charges simpler to figure out.
Three scraps 0800 charges but kills unlimited tethering on SIM-only plans
Even though it has roughly a year until Ofcom's new rule comes into effect, Three has decided it will no longer charge SIM-only customers for making calls to 0800 numbers. The company today unveiled new plans that mirror its pay-monthly handset tariffs, finally making freephone calls free and capping calls to other 08 numbers at 5 pence per minute. Starting at £7 per month for 500MB and 200 minutes, rising to £23 per month for unlimited data and calls, Three's new 12-month SIM-only plans also include access to Feel At Home, letting you enjoy free roaming in 16 countries.
UK mobile phone users to get free 0800 calls by mid-2015
Ofcom, the UK's communication regulator, has toyed with the idea of making freephone numbers free to call from mobiles for over two years, but now it's finally looking to put that plan into action. In an effort to clear up confusion over call charges, the regulator announced it intends to bring mobile freephone calls in line with landlines, letting everyone in the UK call 0800, 0808 and 116 numbers for no charge. It's been a long time coming: Ofcom actually began conducting research into call charges in November 2011, but the new guidance comes with a few extra cost-cutting measures when it goes into effect. By June 2015, Ofcom will introduce caps on premium rate calls and clarify the cost of calls to 0845 numbers, encouraging transparency and giving people a clear of idea of how much they'll be debited when they pick up the phone.
