This time in '99: Oftel forced to eat humble pie over UK number changes

This is how the original story broke on 27 April, 1999:

Telecoms regulator, Oftel today acknowledged Trade and Industry Select Committee criticism over its handling of the UK phone number changes, only fighting back on one point.

Oftel's official response to the Trade and Industry Select Committee's report published last February, was to 'take on board' the Committee's recommendations over the handling of the National Numbering Scheme (NNS) - the way in which Oftel plans to introduce new dialling codes to increase the amount of available telephone numbers.

The Committee's report focused on the allocation of free 0800 numbers, which are in high demand, and which it claims have been distributed unfairly. The document also attacked Oftel for failing to recognise the UK's telephone numbers as a valuable, but finite national resource, which should be distributed to benefit the country as a whole, and for failing to consult telephony users over renumbering to a satisfactory level.

Only on the issue of consulting users did Oftel fight back. In a statement, the regulator claimed it did canvass user groups before formulating the NNS plan.

Roger Runswick, director at telecoms research house, Schema, was sceptical. He said: "Oftel has been forced to eat humble pie, but whether it has taken all of the recommendations on board remains to be seen. It has failed to recognise the concern over the way the number changes will be implemented. Having given people all this time to get used to the last number change, there is going to be a lot of confusion over why this one is necessary."

Runswick added: "Had Oftel consulted more fully, especially on the freephone issue, then it would not have found itself in this position. There has been an element of arrogance in Oftel's treatment of users."

With just eight weeks to go before NNS comes into effect, Oftel says it is now too late to change its plans "without serious risk".