Ofcom has today published a consultation on how
it proposes to regulate the wholesale markets that enable
landline and mobile calls, for the period from April 2026 to
March 2031.
When someone calls a UK phone number, the caller's network
provider pays a wholesale charge to the recipient's phone company
for connecting the call. This is known as a ‘termination rate'.
Following a review of these markets, we are proposing several
measures to promote competition between call providers and ensure
customers can make and receive calls across mobile and landline
networks. Most notably we are proposing to maintain the current
price caps for termination rates (0.0365 pence per minute for
landlines and 0.487 pence per minute for mobile), instead of
indexing them to inflation.
We also propose to simplify some of our rules and to remove a
specific obligation (the End-to-End Connectivity Condition) that
applies only to BT, which was initially intended to enable new
entrants to secure quick market entry through BT's established
connectivity arrangements with the rest of the market. This
is because the market has evolved and there are alternative
options available.
We welcome responses to the consultation by 10 October 2025.
Free-to-caller numbers
Separately, we have also today published a consultation on our
wholesale rules for free-to-caller numbers (those beginning 080
and 116). These numbers are used by businesses, charities and
public sector organisations and can have important social uses,
such as helplines.
We are required by law to review these rules by December 2025.
The rules remain important, and we are therefore proposing to
maintain them.
We welcome views on our proposals by 26 September 2025.
Alongside these consultations, we have also today
published new research on
people's use of mobile, landline and online voice services (such
as WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams).
