New Internet UK Area Code for VOIP Phone Calls

Martin Bolton 06/09/04

Ofcom has announced that 056 will be the new area code for VOIP Phone calls made over the internet. Ofcom has now decided how it is going to regulate internet calls, but at least initially they have said they are going to use a light touch.

"Broadband voice services are a new and emerging market," said Stephen Carter, Ofcom Chief Executive. "Our first task as regulator is to keep out of the way."

The 056 number will be portable with your computer so you will be able to take it whereever you take your computer, including travelling abroad and as bandwidth increases this will make the broadband call significantly cheaper than taking a mobile abroad.

Ofcom have also announced a consultation period where they will discuss, the potential downside of broadband VOIP phone calls and how consumers should be protected. Such a case is the availability of emergency number 999 numbers, currently all traditional phone companies must make these numbers available, but with the globalisation of provision likely to occur in the VOIP marketplace such a restriction may be hard to enforce.

We predict that the VOIP market will be very volatile over the next few years as suppliers come and go and the technology improves, the days of the commonplace video call, so often seen in sci-fi movies cannot now be far away.

Return to G3 Phones & PDAs News