Ofcom moves into the 21st Century and will offer number allocation through a WEB FORM

Ofcom, the Super Regulator, has published a statement that from 8th December 2014 communications providers will have to apply for new number allocations through a web form on the Ofcom site.

The form will ask for details of the allocation use and communications providers that intend to use those numbers for Public Electronic Communications Network (PECN) and/or a Public Electronic Communications Service (PECS) will have to allocate those numbers within the 6 month period or Ofcom can withdraw them and take them back for re-allocation.

This should simplify the application process for most providers (the old system was paper based) and relates to number allocation within Section 58 of the Communication Act 2003 under General Condition 17.

Ofcom held a consultation about this a while back and the result of the respondents are included in the statement, several respondents have been redacted (probably as they didn't want their names known to incumbents).

Ofcom updates GC17

Ofcom the super regulator has published a statement on General Condition 17 (GC17) which relates to the UK numbering plan and telephone number allocations.

The statement just cleans-up the old GC17 as this was published over 10 years ago prior to Ofcom coming into being and though still relevant things have changed since Ofcom took over the role previously maintained by Oftel.

The statement provides the following modifications to the Numbering Plan and GC17: create a single reference point for CPs and other stakeholders in relation to number ranges and related restrictions;

• simplify the provisions relating to compliance with the Numbering Plan and other restrictions on the adoption or use of numbers
• improve the clarity of the Numbering Plan, and remove unnecessary duplication; ensure consistent reflection of current numbering policy across GC17 and the Numbering Plan
• make other minor drafting amendments such as deleting obsolete or redundant text, removing duplication and correcting textual and typographical errors.

This will also affect number allocation forms to correspond to the changes.