Shared-cost service

The service service (also called 0180 number, literally translated: Service service ) is a telecommunications value-added service. Formerly called the company took over in this part of the pay phone, so that the customer had to pay, for example, instead of the expensive long distance call tariff only the cheaper local rate. Nowadays, the cost of which in most tariffs significantly more expensive than regular long distance calls, and part of the fee for the selection of 0180 numbers may be distributed to the operators of the service.

Until March 1, 2010 Service services were called Shared Cost Service.

General information and rates

In Germany, the 0180 number range for Shared - cost services was created. The call charges were formerly those of normal numbers. Since the liberalization of the German telephone market but the cost of calls to regular phone numbers dropped significantly, while the cost of 0180 numbers have remained constant. Thus, a cost savings when call from 0180 Numbers versus normal landline numbers is no longer possible. 0180 numbers are not geographically bound.

There are different classes of 0180 numbers, where the first digit after the 0180 determines the cost to the caller: Connections to 0180-1 ... (originally about the cost of a local call for off-peak time ), 0180-3 ... (originally as the costs of a regional call for in addition to time) and 0180-5 ... (originally about the cost of a long distance call to the off-peak time ) are always time- clocked (charged at most telephone companies minute ), with calls to 0180-2, 0180-4 and 0180-6 falls from a landline instead a fixed fee per successful connection, regardless of the duration of the connection to.

In Austria and Switzerland, there are similar services. In Switzerland it is called shared-cost numbers that have an 084x code. For these 084x numbers a maximum tariff is 12 cents ( CHF ) per minute. In Austria there is the 0810 - and 0820 - numbers, for which a fee cap of 10 or 20 cents per minute was determined.

Areas of application

In addition to the classical field of application as hotline numbers 0180 numbers are also used for the supply of notifying free call through and as an individual subscriber numbers of unified messaging services and VoIP connections.

Undesirable developments

Due to the liberalization of the telecommunications market in Germany, the call charges for calls to ordinary subscriber numbers fell significantly, while the fees for the 0180 classes are not lowered, but were increased by telecommunications providers.

Therefore, it is nowadays usually significantly cheaper, instead of a corresponding 0180 number to call a normal landline number; even mobile phones are often cheaper to reach than the switched by most providers 0180-5 service numbers. Only the 0180-2 numbers with a fixed connection fee per call today are beneficial to the caller from a landline for longer connections.

This effect is amplified by the increasing number of emerging flat rates further because both mobile phones as well as landlines can call from landlines at no extra cost nowadays already many customers. Particularly striking is the Kostendiskrepanz for calls from mobile networks, for which mostly includes the home area.

According to the Federal Network Agency, it is inadmissible that the service providers, a partial amount of the telephone charges are paid. Nevertheless, this is practiced by many telecommunications providers. This payment is referred to as an advertising grant ( MDF ), as many vendors in return for paying the commit number owner to name the provider along with the deal, such as " 01805 - ... ( 14 cents / min, provider) ." The event center is usually paid only for 0180 5 Series numbers and amounts to an average of 3 cents per minute for all calls to the service provider. For hotline numbers where no telecommunications provider is mentioned in the announcement, it can be assumed that the service provider receives payments ( MDF ).

Future as a service service

In July 2007, the Federal Network Agency stated in its Official Journal officially the widespread advertising grant abuse and led basis of which a process leading to the future of the 0180 number range, the principle of shared costs and customer contact services should be clarified.

In May 2009, were converted by a TKG change the Shared - cost services in so-called Service services, bringing the current 0180 pricing can be maintained from a landline. Only for 0180 Calls from mobile phones price caps have been written slightly below the market level so far in 2010.

A change is now being implemented with the new Telecommunications Act of 27 October 2011 with effect from 1 July 2012. Under this law, holding patterns are to be free.

In the first stage of the law upstream queues to be free (probably on August 1, 2012), in the second stage, expected from August 1, 2013, also downstream queues ( transfer) to be charged. At the present time there is for the second stage no technical solution which can ensure a legally compliant implementation of this law on all networks away. If a technical solution is found ( eg, by signaling the queue via the ISDN D- channel or VoIP - based telephone systems, offline -billing ), the cost of the Free sites are provided to hold service providers to account. Many service providers such as public health insurance or the Federal Employment Agency therefore plan the general shutdown of the 0180 service numbers, or have they already been abolished and replaced by local phone numbers or free 0800 numbers.

Alternatives

Alternative numbers

Calls to 0180 numbers will be diverted from the intelligent network to normal telephone numbers. This can be exploited to bypass the most expensive 0180 numbers. In the Internet there are sites that list the replacement numbers for a number of 0180 service numbers, which are published by the provider in some cases themselves, eg for calls from abroad.

032 numbers

Companies that are interested in a non-geographic telephone number with low-cost location -independent routing in the first place, is available as a consumer-friendly alternative, the use of 032 numbers available, which are essential to achieve cost-effective from a landline usually by consumers as 0180 - numbers.