Overview
- A regulation requiring outbound commercial calls to start with the 400 prefix will take effect this Saturday and assign those numbers as outbound-only so recipients cannot call them back.
- The mandate covers utilities, telecoms, transport, postal and financial services and large companies that sell to consumers, and it exempts small telecom and energy firms that do not exceed a 5% market share.
- Consumer groups say the change is primarily informational because the text creates no new sanctioning regime and relies on current consumer-protection laws for enforcement.
- Early monitoring under the broader SAC framework showed limited impact on call volume, and groups such as OCU and FACUA demand clearer caller identification and tougher, enforceable penalties.
- Until regulators add stronger enforcement and a public registry of caller firms, consumers are advised to use phone and operator blocking tools, register on opt-out lists and use OCU opposition templates to reduce unwanted calls.