This topic

Reinstate landline number

JohnJames — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 22:05:36 GMT

My landline was disconnected 9 months ago. I would like my landline to be reconnected, but with my original number. My original number has not been reallocated. Is this possible, to have a landline with my original number.

Re: Reinstate landline number

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 06:15:13 GMT

@JohnJames

Welcome to this user forum for BT Retail phone and broadband customers.

That is not going to be possible, as the limit is 28 days for a number to be recovered. The PSTN network is closing down, and all new allocations use BT Digital Voice.

Numbers are not normally re-allocated to anyone else, as there are plenty of spare numbers, as many people just have mobiles.

Re: Reinstate landline number

JohnJames — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 09:32:00 GMT

Keith,
Thank you for making time to reply.
Could I have landline installed with a new number. Once installation is complete, then port my old number to new installation.

Re: Reinstate landline number

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 09:44:46 GMT

@JohnJames

There are no new analogue phone landlines available.

See https://landlinesgo.digital/

You would be issued with a new number, carried over the broadband connection, but it would not be possible to get back a number which has been inactive for so long, and would have only physically existed on the old analogue PSTN network.

I can not recall anyone posting on this forum who has requested a number which has been inactive for so long, as there would be no reason anyway, as most people would have already been told of their new number.

Re: Reinstate landline number

JohnJames — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 09:48:21 GMT

Thanks Keith. We had the old number for nearly 50 years, but unfortunately it was lost when upgrading.

Re: Reinstate landline number

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 09:58:28 GMT

It should have been possible at that time, to get your number back, if you were with BT Retail, and had asked about it on this forum. Provided you had not moved to a different exchange area.

Re: Reinstate landline number

Thomato — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 08:46:10 GMT

Yet logically...

Is the PSTN system now entirely disbanded? If not, could the old number not technically be reinserted into that system?

If it has been totally removed, a digital system should be free of the old restrictions and any old number should be possible to take back. 🤔

Re: Reinstate landline number

WSH — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 09:00:32 GMT

Not if it's been allocated to someone else.

By the way, this thread is 12 months old.

Re: Reinstate landline number

Thomato — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 09:13:11 GMT

It hasn't been reallocated at all - it's just dead in the water!
It was the number for an old family business that was active from 1983 - and, even long after closure, people still enquired at times.

Re: Reinstate landline number

JohnJames — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 09:39:07 GMT

Keith,

Thank you for making time to Reply.

My old landline number which is PSTN has not been reallocated. I understand the network is now Digital, but I still do not understand why the number cannot be migrated.

What are technical issues that prevent a PSTN number being migrated to Digital.

i would have thought that the Digital network should be able to support a Virtual number. Such as my old PSTN number.

The reason this is important is that we had our number for over 40 years. This issue is threatening a Divorce.

regards

John James

Re: Reinstate landline number

imjolly — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 09:44:39 GMT

sorry but the number has gone and cannot be re-activated @Keith_Beddoe covered this over a year ago

Re: Reinstate landline number

Thomato — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 10:15:13 GMT

And yet nobody has thus far given a good reason for that. What reason is there for the numbers to simply vanish into the ether? They are numbers. They haven't been burnt to a crisp on a barbecue.

We would like a technical answer.

Re: Reinstate landline number

iniltous — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 10:56:45 GMT

FWIW , the current PSTN service being retired is already ‘digital’ and has been for 30-40 years , the switch is to IP telephony not digital telephony.

As far as retrieval of numbers that were once used , technically a range holder can allocate any number that’s within the range of numbers they hold , if it’s not already allocated and in use , the issue is why should they …there is no compulsion beyond holding a number for 30 days after cessation incase a port request comes from another provider, beyond that it smacks of entitlement to expect a demand that a number someone had , months , years , or decades earlier , should be sought out and allocated on request , the technicality is irrelevant, it isn’t a service that’s offered .

Can a long since ceased number be retrieved , Yes , I dare say if someone with the appropriate authority or influence within senior management , they could make that happen , but for ‘Joe Public’ there is no requirement to offer this level of number retrieval , so it’s not offered .

Re: Reinstate landline number

Thomato — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 11:53:19 GMT

Thank you @iniltous - see, that's a far better answer than the number has just "gone"

What surprises me is that the companies flat out refuse to even consider it. Recovery may cost money, but in certain cases I imagine there would be customers willing to pay handsomely to recover their old number.

Re: Reinstate landline number

JohnJames — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 12:35:39 GMT

Tomato,

I could not agree more. I still do not understand what are the technical issues that prevent Landline number being migrated. My own personal view is that it is Openreach intransigence.

Re: Reinstate landline number

iniltous — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 12:41:06 GMT

Openreach are not responsible for telephone numbers , they are the responsibility of the range holder (the CP , communications provider ) ….consider a number port from Talk Talk to Sky , that has absolutely nothing to do with Openreach even if the providers deliver their services over Openreach ‘

BT to EE is no different, Openreach don’t care what , if any number is associated with a service, it’s of no consequence to them

Re: Reinstate landline number

JohnJames — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 12:53:54 GMT

Iniltous,

Thank you for the clarification. However, as Openreach maintain and service the infrastructure this is a service that should be provided. It cannot be that difficult a task.

Re: Reinstate landline number

iniltous — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 13:11:21 GMT

Infrastructure is cables , poles , ducts , and FTTC/ FTTP access , they are Openreach’s responsibility, what services any CP’s (Communications Providers ) care to deliver over those things , has nothing to do with them , Openreach are just a delivery layer , they don’t provide anything other than ‘transport’ for others products.

…….an admittedly poor analogy, they are a ‘white van’ operator, delivering anything that can fit into that van from point A to B , they don’t care if that’s a sofa , a fridge , or a TV , they are not in the business of supplying any of those things ,and the only restriction is that the product is legal and fits within the confines of the vehicle, they just move whatever it is from A to B for their clients .

Re: Reinstate landline number

JohnJames — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 13:38:23 GMT

Thanks

Re: Reinstate landline number

Anonymous — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 18:19:44 GMT

@Thomatowrote:

"Recovery may cost money, but in certain cases I imagine there would be customers willing to pay handsomely to recover their old number."

Some people will pay a lot of money for personalised car number plates, so I don't see it as unreasonable that others may want to retrieve their old telephone number.

Maybe OFCOM could co-ordinate it as a paid for service for those that want it, and do it profitably? It would certainly be less controversial than some of the governments current revenue raising methods!