CPS - Carrier Pre-Selection - Improving your choice

The UK has a very competitive market in telecommunications.

You may already have a choice of who supplies a phone line to your business.

If you have a BT line, you can also make calls using one of the many other phone companies. You can do this by either:

dialling a short code (or sometimes a freephone number) before you dial the number you want; or
having an adaptor plugged in between the socket and your phone. The adaptor means you don't have to dial a different number.
If you have a residential or business BT line you are now able to use other providers more easily. You will not have to dial any extra numbers or use an adaptor. This is called 'Carrier Pre-Selection' (CPS).

OFCOM explains the changes and what CPS means for you if you have a BT line. It was produced together with consumer groups and telecommunications operators.

What if BT doesn't provide my phone service?
Kingston Communications is currently the only other company that has to let its competitors provide CPS (and only to its customers in the Hull area - therefore please note that any reference to BT in this document can also apply to Kingston in the Hull area). Other companies, such as cable TV companies and mobile-phone companies, can choose whether to offer you CPS, although call types and combinations of calls may be different. If you are thinking of switching from BT, you may want to check whether your new supplier offers CPS, and in what form.

How could I benefit from CPS?
CPS means you can choose services from different phone companies using your existing BT line. As a result, you may pay less for your phone calls. Even if you have a BT and are already using services from other companies, CPS may be a more convenient way of doing this. CPS should also make the market for telecoms services more competitive, which should help to cut prices.

What types of call can I make using CPS?
There are four options for the types of call you can make using CPS (although some companies might not offer all four options). The four options are:

international calls;
national calls;
international and national calls; and
'all calls'
'International calls' means calls to the Republic of Ireland and overseas.

'National' calls means calls to UK national numbers: this does not include calls to mobile numbers, local calls or calls to specially-tariffed numbers such as national rate 0870 numbers.

The 'all calls' option includes:

local calls;
national calls;
international calls;
calls to mobile phones;
specially tariffed calls (for example, freephone, local rate, national rate and premium rate);
personal numbers; and
paging.
You can choose to have one provider for national calls and another for international calls. You can also choose to have the same provider for both.

However, you cannot split the 'all calls' option. If you choose the 'all calls' option, you will only be able to use it with one provider. For example, you will not be able to use one provider for calls to mobile phones and another for national calls.

Certain types of call are not included within CPS, no matter which option you choose. These are calls to emergency numbers, operator assistance, directory enquiries and number ranges used for flat-rate Internet access - those starting with 0844 04 or 0808 99. However, you will still have access to these services as you do now - they will appear on your BT bill rather than your CPS provider's bill.

Do I have to make every call using my CPS provider?
No, you will be able to use any other provider with whom you have arranged services (including BT) by dialling extra digits before the phone number you want to call. (This is called an 'over-ride' or 'indirect access' code.) For example, you may want to use a CPS provider for most international calls but use another provider just for calls to a particular country.

Will I need any new phone lines or equipment?
BT will still own, run and send you bills for your phone line. Your phone number will not change. However, you will get a separate bill for call charges from each different call provider that you use.

If you have more than one phone number and line, you can choose different CPS options for each line. However, all extensions on the same line must have the same CPS option.

If I have CPS, how will the other services that I receive from my current provider change?
How existing services such as call barring, call diversion and discount schemes are affected depends on what the different companies offer. You may lose some services but gain others. For more information, check any leaflets or contracts, or talk to the companies concerned before you sign up.

You should be aware that if you want to have call barring, you will need to order it from each provider that you use. This is because providers cannot bar calls on other companies' networks. For example, if you have a BT line with call barring in place for calls to premium-rate numbers, and you use another provider with the 'all calls' option, the call barring will only work on calls to premium-rate numbers you make using BT. If you called a premium-rate number using your other provider, (as would ordinarily be the case if you had selected the 'all calls' option) the BT call barring would not work. So you would need to arrange call barring to premium-rate numbers with your other provider.

If you use BT's 'Light User Scheme', and similar lower-cost schemes such as 'In Contact' and 'In Contact-Plus', you will not be able to use these schemes and CPS. To take CPS, you will first have to cancel these schemes.

On the other hand, if you already use CPS but want to use one of these schemes instead, you will have to cancel the CPS service.

Also, if you want to change other services you receive (for example by adding new lines), you will need to find out how the CPS service will be affected.

What happens if I have a burglar or personal alarm that uses the telephone?
If you are considering using CPS on a line intended for a burglar or other type of alarm service, it is strongly recommended that you check with your chosen CPS provider that they will carry these types of calls in the event of an emergency. (You should note that CPS will make no difference to the existing 999 emergency services number.)

Do I have to make a choice?
It's up to you. If you do nothing, your current service (including any 'indirect access' services) will not change.

How will I get CPS?
To receive CPS you will need to get in touch with a CPS provider such as Company Caller / Westlake Communications. You may need to return a written contract, alternatively you might be able to enter into a contract on the Internet or over the telephone.

The CPS options available to you for each phone number are:

CPS for all international calls;
CPS for all national calls;
CPS for all international and for all national calls calls; or
CPS for 'all calls'.
You will be able to choose the same or different companies for national and international calls. You cannot use the 'all calls' option with the other options.