RD343 - ETNO Reflection Document - Response to the European Commission questionnaire on the future harmonisation of numbering resources for the provision of business services

For more than ten years, ETNO has expressed its absolute reservations regarding the European Telephony Numbering Space (ETNS) concept. ETNO believes that it is now time to recognise that this concept was basically flawed, because there is no viable commercial demand. Pursuing the same remit as proposed in this renewed approach would only lead to unnecessary costs. 
Instead, all European business customers can use ITU-T administrated global numbers, already well known by end users.

Executive Summary:

• Over the last ten years there has been a tremendous amount of time and effort spent by all interested parties in Europe on the European Telephony Numbering Space (ETNS) concept, but with no success. For more than ten years, ETNO has expressed its reservations regarding this project. ETNO believes that it is now time to recognise that this concept was basically flawed, because there is no viable commercial demand for such services and pursuing the same initiative with more or less the same remit as proposed in this renewed approach would only lead to unnecessary costs.
• In fact, all European business customers can use ITU-T administrated global numbers, already well known by the end users, such as International Freephone Numbers (+800) or Premium Rate Numbers (+979), that are assigned by ITU-TSB directly to applicants on a single number basis.