Reinstate landline number

[imjolly]

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

[Thomato]

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. 

[iniltous]

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 .

[Thomato]

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.

[JohnJames]

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.

[iniltous]

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 

[JohnJames]

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.

[iniltous]

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 .

[JohnJames]

Thanks

[Anonymous]

@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!

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