Anyone who has a problem and calls a service hotline usually pays more from a mobile phone than from a landline. This is no longer up to date, says the Federal Network Agency and wants to align prices.
The massive price differences between fixed and mobile networks for calls to 0137 and 0180 numbers should soon be a thing of the past.
“The Federal Network Agency will end the previous price differentiation between fixed and mobile networks,” announced the President of the Federal Network Agency, Jochen Homann, in Bonn on Wednesday. As a result of the change, the prices for calls from the mobile network would drop significantly, announced the competition authority.
For the 0180 numbers that are used by service providers such as advice hotlines, the prices are to be adjusted with effect from December 1st. For the 0137 numbers for mass traffic services, the step is to take place on April 1, 2022. The 0137 numbers are used, for example, in viewer votes in television programs such as “Deutschland sucht den Superstar” or in competitions in order to be able to deal with large numbers of calls in a short time.
So far, the price differences have often been huge. According to the Federal Network Agency, a call to an 0180 number from a landline network currently costs 3.9 cents per minute, while from mobile networks it usually costs 42 cents per minute. This is no longer up-to-date, judged the Federal Network Agency.
The move by the Federal Network Agency is made possible because, with the entry into force of a new version of the Telecommunications Act on December 1, the competition authority will for the first time be authorized to set the end customer prices for calls from mobile networks for phone numbers for service services and mass transport services.
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
