IFS HCD Access Situation

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IFS / HCD Access Situation

• International Inbound Services Forum
• Access Task Force

Task Force Members Joanie Purser BT UK
Preben A. Larsen, TDC Tele Danmark
Michael Lamatsch - Swisscom Ted Smith - BT
UK Jacqueline Strehlow T-COM Arthur Helwig
KPN Netherlands Nili Katz Bezeq
International
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Background I

• Today some carriers bar mobile and payphone
  originated calls for IFS/HCD because the IFS/HCD
  service providers may not compensate the IFS/HCD
  access provider for the additional cost of
  originating these calls due to a missing
  mechanism to identify calls on international
  connections.
• In many countries, the Regulator prescribes the
  use of Freephone as totally free of charge for
  the caller. Access providers must therefore
  recover their costs from the service providers
  who may pass on the costs to end users.

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Background II

• Today we still have an unsatisfying situation
  about access on IFS or HCD services.
• Many times it is not clear for our customer from
  what networks they do have access and from which
  networks they do not have access
• For IFS or HCD service providers it is very
  difficult to market their products and to
  communicate to their customers the different
  access situation.

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Situation I Mobile Access

• Many carriers block the access from the mobile
  network to IFS or HCD services completely -gt no
  access from mobiles for all customers
• Some carriers just allow access from certain
  mobile providers -gt For the customer it is
  complicated to find out with which mobile
  provider he should make a phone call to an IFS or
  HCD number
• Some carriers allow access from all mobile
  networks, but exclude mobile roamers -gt
  travellers using IFS or HCD services (our
  customers) do not have access to these services
• Some carriers allow access from all mobile
  networks with Airfee-gt hard to understand for the
  caller why he has to pay for a call on a
  Freephone number
• Some carriers allow access from all mobile
  networks without airfee -gt perfect and desirable
  situation, but access carrier may have additional
  cost

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Mobile roamers

• Many countries indicate that access from mobile
  phones to IFS/HCD services is possible, but do
  not mention that roamers are excluded -gt
  travellers (our customers) using their mobile
  phones do not have access to these services.
  Service provider will get the complaints

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Break Out Session I - Mobile

• Topics to discuss
• How is the situation for mobiles in your country
  (mobile subscribers, mobile roamers)
• What can we do to improve the mobile
  accessibility?
• What kind of information do you need from a
  IFS/HCD Access Provider regarding Mobile
  accessibility?

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Result from the break out session mobile

• Make sure that your fact book entry mentions the
  situation for mobile roamers. Indicate if mobile
  roamers do have access or not.
• Indicate on your fact book entry from which
  mobile network you can guarantee the access
• Indicate if there is an airfee or other surcharge
  on mobile calls.

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Situation II Payphone Access

• Many carriers block the access from the payphone
  network to IFS or HCD services completely -gt no
  access from payphones for all customers
• Some carriers just allow access from certain
  payphone providers -gt For the customer it is
  complicated to find out with which mobile
  provider he should make a phone call to an IFS or
  HCD number
• Some carriers allow access from all payphone
  networks but the customer has to pay an initial
  fee for it -gt complicated for the customer.
• Some carriers allow access from all payphone
  networks without an access fee -gt perfect and
  desirable situation

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Different payphone operators

• In many countries there are different payphone
  providers but not all allow the access to IFS /
  HCD services. Complicated for the customer to
  know from which payphones it will work.

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Break Out Session II - Payphone

• Topics to discuss
• How is the situation for payphones in your
  country
• What can we do to improve the payphone
  accessibility?
• What kind of information do you need from a
  IFS/HCD Access Provider regarding payphone
  accessibility

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Result from the break out session payphone

• Make sure that your factbook entry mentions the
  situation of the payphone access. Indicate if
  there are different payphone operators and if so
  indicate which payphone operators allow access to
  IFS/HCD.
• Indicate on your factbook entry from which
  payphone network you can guarantee the access
• Indicate how these payphone operators can be
  recognized (Logos, colours etc.)

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Payphone Example BT

• Note 1 Definition of Public PayphonesA public
  payphone is defined as a Payphone, which is
  located in a public area, street, airports and
  shopping areas. Toll Free calling is available
  from all BT Payphones
• Definition of Managed PayphonesManaged payphones
  are owned by the site owners, such as Hotels,
  railway stations, cafes and Restaurants. The
  access to Toll Free calling is at the discretion
  of the site owner, but toll free is usually
  barred.
• Note 2There are 69200 public BT Payphones across
  the UK. To ensure that your customers receive an
  excellent standard of service, please point out
  that they should look for the BT Kiosk and  BT
  Logo.
• To make a toll free call, merely lift the handset
  and listen for the dial tone. Enter the toll free
  number and a quality call will be made.

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Situation III Fixed Network Access

• In some countries just one access carrier allows
  the access from the fixed network. There are no
  interconnection agreements regarding IFS/HCD with
  other fixed network providers in the country -gt
  customer has just access from one network -gt many
  times complicated to find out which network he is
  using (for example hotel etc.)

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No Interconnection Agreements for fixed network

• In many countries there are different fixed
  network providers but not all allow the access to
  IFS / HCD services. Complicated for the customer
  to know from which payphones it will work.

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Example Customer Complaint Investigation

• Customer - Costa Rica
• Customer purchases HCD product in country
• Travels to UK from Costa Rica
• Customer is annoyed as they are unable to make a
  call using the Toll Free
• HCD product
• Customer complains to ICE which is passed onto
  BT
• BT (Me) launches an investigation!
• Basic information requirement-
• Access Method - Payphone, Mobile or Fixed
• When was the call attempted?
• Any supporting information - was card valid etc.

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Customer Complaint Investigation
Service Provider 1 BT Line Cable TV
Carrier Carrier Pre-Select
Service Provider 2 Domestic Low cost routing
carrier
Access Method Mobile Payphone Fixed
No toll free interconnect agreement! HCD and IFS
Calls Barred!
Commercial Issue - new carriers are not plugged
into the POLO (Payment to Other Licensed
Operators) process, whereby all Toll free calls
are allocated a per call fee to reimburse the
carrier for passing calls over their network.
Solution - Education of carriers and advising
customers wherever possible of the possible
pitfalls of these type of calls.
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Break Out Session III Fixed Network

• Topics to discuss
• How is the situation for other fixed network
  providers in your country
• What can we do to improve the accessibility?
• What kind of information do you need from a
  IFS/HCD Access Provider regarding interconnection
  and fixed network accessibility

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Result from the break out session fixed network

• Make sure to have interconnection agreements
  with all network provider in your country.
• If other network provider do not want to allow
  access for IFS/HCD services contact your
  regulator and explain the situation.
• Indicate in the factbook from which fix network
  IFS/HCD services are accessible.

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Survey on existing Factbook entries regarding
mobile/payphone/fix network access

• Difficulties
• Some carriers do not provide mobile/payphone
  access at all
• These carriers count like no information is given

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Information about Mobile Roamers
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Information about Payphone Providers
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Information about fixed network interconnections
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Open Discussion Access and Marketing

• How does your provider market IFS and HCD
  services regarding accessibility?
• How does your provider handle the difficulties
  with the different access situation within each
  single country?

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Access Task Force 2006

• Shall the Access Task Force continue?
• Possible issues for the Access Task Force 2006?