PhonepayPlus, the UK premium rate phone regulator, today welcomed the publication of Ofcom’s statement on the regulation of premium rate services (PRS). Ofcom has asked PhonepayPlus to take forward a number of the actions arising from the review, including:
- A mandatory registration scheme for the PRS industry;
- An expansion of its current Number Checker service to cover all PRS numbers, as far as possible;
- A consultation on strengthening PRS advertising requirements to improve pricing transparency;
- Consideration of creating complaints handling standards for the PRS industry.
PhonepayPlus agrees that these measures, implemented carefully, could bring significant improvements to PRS regulation. It intends to work closely with the PRS industry to ensure any changes to the regulatory framework are effective and proportionate.
PhonepayPlus is currently revising its Code of Practice and will look at incorporating these recommendations into the Code. It will set out further detail on how these proposals will be taken forward when its Business Plan is published for consultation later this year.
Ofcom’s full statement on PRS regulation can be found at
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/prs_scope/prs_statement/