The Metering & Billing Approval Bodies' Forum (MABABF)

The Structure of the MABABF Website

This website has a number of differing purposes, with differing audiences:

Firstly, To disseminate public information about the Metering & Billing Scheme

The “Public Information” Area, which can be entered by selecting from the Left Hand Margin contains a variety of openly available items. More will be added as the Scheme develops and areas requiring guidance etc are identified. As a start, guidance regarding the Oftel (2003) Direction and its application is available as a set of nine MABGs, by clicking on the “Downloads” link in the Left Hand Margin.

Two Guidance documents that are applicable to the Ofcom M&B Direction (2008) as well as the Oftel Direction (2003) have also been linked, and more will be added to the Download area as each topic is finalised.

Secondly, To provide a convenient place for the Approvals Bodies to lodge information of mutual interest

The Approvals Bodies will use the “MABABF” area to develop guidance and record any decisions necessary to ensure that they operate on a “level playing field”.

This may include:

Minutes of the “Standard” i.e. decision-making meetings of MABABF, attended by the ABs and Ofcom.
Draft documentation
Information necessary for MABABF to operate

Thirdly, to provide a forum visible to the ABs, CPs and others in the Industry where information of mutual interest may be lodged

Where MABABF holds meetings to which CPs are invited (“Open MABABF Meetings”) the minutes and other information disseminated via the meeting may be made available to the Industry via this area.

Also, a CP may wish to make available information here to other CPs, but not place it into the public domain. A CP who, for example, operates a Network and sells its services via a network of Resellers may wish to be able to make available information about the best way in which those Resellers can seek approval. This could include referring to the Network CP's “Wholesale Approval” and what that means concerning the accuracy and timeliness of data etc passed to Resellers.

Another example might be to facilitate discussion amongst members of the CP Community about how problems encountered during the approval process could be overcome, prior to a formal approach to the Approvals Body or Bodies concerned.