Posted on: 7th July 2026, by Magrathea
Welcome to the July newsletter, combining news from Magrathea and around the industry.
What’s included
- Ofcom: Compliance program into access to emergency services (article link)
- ComReg: Review of the Numbering Conditions of Use & Application process
- AI: Keeping people in the loop
- WLR Price Increases
- Service Spotlight: Account Authentication
- Service Spotlight: Gold Numbers
- Client Survey Summary
- Events and outings
- Magrathea Musings
Ofcom: Compliance program into access to emergency services
Ofcom has concluded its industry-wide review of emergency call handling, finding no evidence of widespread failings requiring formal enforcement. However, its message to communications providers is clear: emergency call resilience remains a regulatory priority.
In our latest article, we summarise the key expectations for providers, including monitoring, testing, complaint handling, network change management and location data, along with the practical steps we’re taking to help our clients maintain compliance and deliver reliable access to emergency services. Read the full article here. Ofcom’s open letter to communications providers can also be downloaded here.
ComReg: Review of the Numbering Conditions of Use & Application process
We have submitted a response to ComReg’s consultation on proposals to the above. In short Comreg are reviewing the idea of banning sub-allocation of non-geo numbers in efforts to reduce misuse.
Whilst we wholeheartedly support efforts to reduce scams and misuse of numbering resources, our response highlights that many service providers rely on sub-allocation to deliver numbering services efficiently. We have submitted the same response to when they asked the same question around geographic numbers. In our view, a blanket prohibition would increase administrative burdens, reduce flexibility and create unnecessary barriers for legitimate providers without proportionately addressing the issues it is intended to solve.
For more detail please read here
AI: Keeping people in the loop
According to Ofcom’s latest research, more than half of UK adults now use AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot or Gemini, while AI adoption across the communications sector continues to grow.
In its recently published Strategic Approach to AI, Ofcom highlights many of the same themes we’re seeing across our industry: the opportunity to improve efficiency, resilience and customer experience, balanced against the need for security, transparency and trust.
At Magrathea, we’re interested in AI, but we’re more interested in outcomes. As with any technology, the important question isn’t whether it can be used, but whether it genuinely improves the service we provide.
We’ll continue to adopt and explore AI where it helps us work more efficiently, identify issues more quickly and deliver a better experience for our customers. But when it comes to network security, customer confidentiality, regulatory compliance and decision-making, people remain firmly in control.
WLR Increases
All clients with WLR lines remaining will have received notification about the next price increase coming in October, with the July increase just kicking in now. We will no longer support WLR lines from December 2026 so here is your reminder to please take action now to avoid price hikes and potential service problems as we potentially hit a bottleneck of migrations.
Service Spotlight: Account Authentication methods
For SIP originated calls, we offer three secure ways for your traffic to be authenticated:
- Registration via username and password
- Pre-authorised IP address
- Digest authentication – which is a combination of methods 1 & 2.
With digest authentication your username and password registration can have an IP mask applied to it, so that our servers recognise which account you are using but only allow traffic using that username if the IP address is one that has been pre-registered.
As well as offering an additional layer of security, it will also mean that you can use the same IP for authentication on two different accounts – for example when using a standard account and a gold account simultaneously.
We advise that clients use either IP authentication or digest authentication for greater security. If you are still using username and password alone, we recommend you review this with our team.
Service Spotlight: Gold numbers
A memorable phone number can make a lasting impression.
Gold numbers are available across our UK number ranges and remain a popular choice for businesses looking to strengthen their brand, improve recall and make it easier for customers to get in touch. Whether it’s a simple repeating pattern or an easy-to-remember sequence, the right number can add real value to your marketing and advertising.
Gold numbers are available from a one-off allocation fee of £100. If you’re looking for something specific, get in touch and we’ll be happy to discuss the options available and provide a tailored quotation.
Client Survey Summary
Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our client survey.
We received a fantastic response rate and some genuinely valuable feedback. Every comment helps us improve, whether it’s positive feedback, constructive criticism or ideas for new services and features.
Overall, the results were extremely encouraging. Support, fault handling, communications and network reliability all received consistently high scores, with many of you highlighting the responsiveness and helpfulness of our team as key reasons for choosing to work with Magrathea. We’re extremely proud of that recognition.
One of the strongest messages from the survey was that while we are good at delivering our services, we could do a better job of showcasing them. Over the coming year, we’ll be increasing the number of client workshops covering topics such as porting, broadband ordering and ceasing, alongside sessions introducing new products and features. We’ll also continue refining our newsletters and client communications to make them shorter, clearer and easier to navigate, so you can quickly find the information that’s most relevant to you.
Many of you ask for further enhancements to the MAGIC Portal, our Status Page and API integrations; particularly around billing visibility, reporting and additional self-service functionality. Some of these improvements are already on our roadmap, while others will shape our future planning priorities.
We also received valuable feedback on areas such as IPv6 adoption, fraud prevention and emerging technologies. It’s encouraging to see so many clients looking ahead, and your insight plays an important role in helping us prioritise future investment. Fraud prevention remains a particular area of focus and – as fraud techniques continue to evolve – we’ll continue working alongside industry bodies, law enforcement and our partners to help tackle emerging threats and support a more secure telecoms industry.
Perhaps most reassuringly, when asked what matters most in a wholesale communications provider, the qualities you consistently identified were reliability, responsiveness, security and technical expertise. Those principles have underpinned Magrathea for the past 25 years and will continue to guide the way we develop our services in the years ahead.
Thank you once again for your continued support, your honesty, and the trust you place in us. We genuinely appreciate you taking the time to share your views, and we’re committed to turning your feedback into meaningful improvements.
Events and outings
June was a quieter month for external events for the team, giving us the chance to focus on something closer to home. We were delighted to welcome David Beeney, who shared his personal experience of building resilience and supporting mental wellbeing. We never truly know what’s happening in other peoples’ lives, and we feel that it’s important to create an environment where people feel supported and know it’s OK to say they’re not OK. David’s talk reminded us all about the real importance of looking after ourselves and one other – and that kindness, empathy and understanding are strengths. If you would like to learn more about David and his work, you can find information here
It was also lovely to see some familiar faces at the CCUK Women in Telecoms in-person meeting on the 30th – kindly hosted once again by 8×8. Some great discussions took place and the panel session around career trajectories was particularly interesting.
The big event for July is the CCUK awards on 16th July. This is the 18th year and we’re so proud to be the main sponsors. Some of the team will be attending so please come and say hello. Tickets are still available, for more detail please click here
Magrathea Musings
As we celebrate our anniversary month, we’re more grateful than ever for our brilliant team and everything they do.
However, one area we don’t always talk is our strong relationships with industry colleagues, particularly when it comes to porting. We all know things can go awry in porting numbers and building goodwill across industry makes life a bit easier when they do. Our porting desk recently received this feedback which shows in every aspect we do business it’s all about our people willing to help others.
“We really appreciated the patience, professionalism and support shown by the Magrathea team. They worked closely with us throughout and were always cooperative, responsive and willing to help.”
Feedback like this means a great deal to us. It reflects the values we strive to demonstrate every day and in more than one context, it recognises the people who work so hard to support our clients.
Kind regards
Client Support, Magrathea
The information contained in this guidance is for your information only and is not intended to be relied on. It does not constitute legal professional advice, nor is it a substitute for you obtaining your own legal professional advice. Magrathea accepts no liability whatsoever for any errors, omissions or statements in this guidance or for any loss which may arise from your use of this guidance.