Arcep will finally cap their price

Arcep will cap the price of premium rate numbers which has increased by an average of 400% between 2005 and 2016. As of August 1, 2021, these calls will be capped like all other short and special numbers. In addition, ARCEP wishes to regulate the practice of modifying the calling identifier and force operators to make these numbers accessible from any point in French territory.

special numbers that cost too much, soon old history? In any case, there will be limits to avoid sometimes excessive invoicing. In its new numbering plan, the telecom policeman wants to attack the protection of consumers, who sometimes pay for these services for an exorbitant price – even though most of these services are available at lower cost (if not is free) on the internet. For "further protect users from fraud and abuse" failing to protect them "totally" as seems implied by this curious formulation, the Arcep will set ceilings ] "Identical to those existing for all other short and special numbers: 3 € per call or 80 cents per minute"

Surcharged numbers: the cost per call has increased by 400%

What to limit a little out of the package on the invoice, while according to the authority, the cost of these services for the consumer has more than quintupled between 2005 and 2016. This decision, taken in connection with a report of the DGCCRF, will nevertheless apply not before August 1, 2021. Another more immediate measure, Arcep wants to frame the practice according to which certain call centers modify their identifier. This allows for example to unify a network of call centers so that the recipient has the feeling of having to deal with a single interlocutor. Arcep explains indeed have found that this provision has resulted in number theft, and provides a measuring battery to prevent its negative effects from 1 August 2019.

Finally, the Arcep will impose that the numbers short and special are "accessible from all over the national territory, noting that some of these numbers are made voluntarily inaccessible by operators, especially from overseas territories" .