The 11th meeting of the working group on Numbering, Names and Addressing (WG NNA) of the Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) was held last 26-27 February in Amsterdam.
WG NNA is a working group whose main participants are regulators from various countries in the enlarged Europe. They discuss numbering issues with a view, among others, to exchanging information, positions and decisions on aspects linked to numbering, especially the allocation and management of those resources and, recently, measures associated to consumer defence. The group's activities also include the production of recommendations, reports and decisions approved by the ECC on issues of common interest for Europe in this area.
Standing out among the issues discussed was approval of the proposed Recommendation (08)03 on ''Services Using Harmonised European Short Codes in the National Numbering Range Beginning with ?116?'', which proposes a number of steps that in certain circumstances make the use of ''sponsors'' viable for supporting the cost of calls to ''116xxx'' numbers. These numbers are meant for the provision of harmonised social services as set out in Decision 2007/116/EC of 15 February 2007. Also envisaged is the existence of announcements to ensure consumer protection vis-à-vis call price - especially important for visitors when the call is not free for the caller.
Proposed Recommendation (08)03 was placed by the ECC in public consultation last 13 March. Interested parties are asked to send their responses directly to the European Radiocommunications Office (ERO) by 13 May 2008.
