Ofcom is to ban mobile phone firms from charging customers who call 0800 numbers.

Currently, mobile users pay up to 40p a minute to dial the numbers, which are free to call from a landline and are used by many public bodies, including councils and the NHS.

The regulator is due to ban the practice within weeks and introduce rules to clarify other charges for so-called non-geographic numbers beginning with 08 or 09.

Such changes will help reveal the true cost of taking part in phone votes for reality TV shows such as Britain’s Got Talent.

Phone companies will be required to inform customers of the standard cost of calling an 09 premium number, while TV companies running the polls will have to show additional charges on-screen.

Ofcom is also planning to clear up the confusion surrounding the cost of using 118 directory enquiry services.

BRILL

Long over due

Calls to 0800 are already free on the Giff Gaff network and can be used to access routing services such as 18866, 1899 and 18185 etc to get landline calls for 1p plus a 5p connection. The same routing rates via 0800 apply for international destinations Giff Gaff charge at £1 per minute,

Calls to 0800 are already free on the Giff Gaff network and can be used to access routing services such as 18866, 1899 and 18185 etc to get landline calls for 1p plus a 5p connection. The same routing rates via 0800 apply for international destinations Giff Gaff charge at £1 per minute,

Thats all very well for the number savvy amongst us but not for those in a rush or otherwise easily confused. 0800 numbers should be free without having to faff around rerouting. Well done Ofcom I say. ...Eventually!

Obviously they should be free - and years ago in the UK one-2-one (now T mobile) and Orange never charged for them, but this changed about eight years ago.

Although its been announced 0800s will be free - I would not hold my breath waiting for anything like that to happen, so will stick with GG until then.

Lastly - I don't thing it's "Well done Ofcom" at all - as they sat and did nothing when the charges were introduced. So its more like... "Nice to see you get off your backsides eventually!"

Before anyone gets too excited, don't forget that the plans were first outlined at the end of 2010.

Ofcom expects to have the rules firmed up in early 2013 and implemented 18 months later, so any changes are still over two years away.

So until then does anyone want a GG sim?

I'll donate the fiver I get upon activation to the forum, and your first top up gets you an extra fiver too.

Or even if CAG set up a page themselves to get the fiver paid directly?

Main problems with GG from their forum have been porting numbers, and occasional slow top ups, but on average they are at least equal to any UK mobile company I have used.

UK Calls are 10p per min - 6p texts. Weirdly 8p to EU landlines and 16p to EU mobiles and 10p texts.

0800/0808/0500 free - other 08 numbers are 12p I think.

Your first £10 top up would get you £15 credit which swaps to a month long package with 400 min, unlimited texts, and unlimited non tethering data.

They run on the O2 network, so you need an O2 or unlocked mobile.