The Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority has launched a Call for Information on new conditions for how local telecoms providers use telephone numbers.
The aim is to bring Jersey closer to the UK’s approach and, crucially, to strengthen safeguards that help protect Islanders from call scams as part of a wider review of the numbering system.
The Government of Jersey recently amended the Telecommunications (Jersey) Law 2002 to confirm the legal powers of UK telecoms regulator Ofcom to allocate, manage and withdraw telephone numbers in Jersey. This change formalised long-standing arrangements under which Jersey numbers form part of the UK’s National Numbering Scheme and it ensures that local telecoms providers can continue to access new number ranges.
Access to the numbering scheme is controlled by Ofcom’s National Telephone Numbering Plan (NTNP), which establishes conditions for telecoms providers on the use of certain number ranges. These include freephone, premium rate and helplines. The Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority’s Call for Information is seeking views on whether these conditions should apply in Jersey or whether there is a justifiable reason to exempt some.
The legal change also presents an opportunity for the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority (JCRA) to look more widely at the existing framework of rules governing the use of numbers in the Island. Recent years have seen a considerable increase in the misuse of numbers, with fraudsters using scam calls to persuade people to hand over financial or personal details.
JCRA Chief Executive Tim Ringsdore said: “The amendment to Jersey’s telecoms law provides clarity and certainty around the allocation of telephone numbers, but it also presents an opportunity for us to review how numbering is regulated locally. This Call for Information is the first step in that process. We want to understand whether any parts of the UK NTNP may need to be adapted for Jersey, and we encourage all interested parties to share their views.”
