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Chat => Tech Chat => Topic started by: renluop on February 08, 2021, 08:57:52 AM

Title: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: renluop on February 08, 2021, 08:57:52 AM
With UK's present exchange system, how long will it be before there are insufficient numbers for it to operate efficiently?  Next step and solution?
Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: meritez on February 08, 2021, 09:23:27 AM
Back in August 2019, OfCOM released the 0204 range for London to give London an extra 10 million numbers: https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2019/08/ofcom-uk-to-release-new-020-4-phone-number-range-for-london.html

In certain areas, OfCOM has conservation areas, this means instead of a carrier being able to hold 10,000 numbers, they can only hold 1,000: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations-and-statements/category-2/conserve and https://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations-and-statements/category-3/telavail

Overall it looks in good shape, and London has around 40 million numbers left in the ranges 0201, 0202, 0205 and 0206 that have yet to be made available.

The conservation of numbers in 336 areas has stopped Carriers sitting on 10,000 number blocks that they hardly use.
Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: chenks on February 08, 2021, 09:26:16 AM
if anything we are more likely to end up having too much as people start to drop "landline" telphone services completey.
Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: renluop on February 08, 2021, 01:48:16 PM
if anything we are more likely to end up having too much as people start to drop "landline" telphone services completey.
Excuse my ignorance, but won't  numbers still be needed to establish connection between caller and called?
Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: Alex Atkin UK on February 08, 2021, 02:44:48 PM
Excuse my ignorance, but won't  numbers still be needed to establish connection between caller and called?

I think what they mean is most people won't bother with VoIP, they just use their mobile phone so landline numbers will be in much less demand.
Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: chenks on February 08, 2021, 02:54:23 PM
indeed
i only have a landline number (provided via VOIP) because it was cheaper to have one than to not have one, if the price was the same then i wouldn't have one at all.
there isn't anything connected to the VOIP port at my end so the number is essentially wasted by forcing me to have it.
Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: renluop on February 09, 2021, 12:27:32 PM
II
I think what they mean is most people won't bother with VoIP, they just use their mobile phone so landline numbers will be in much less demand.
I'm not so sure. Maybe the take up of VoIP will be less than expected. There are still people around without a computer or mobile and, if they do, make very limited basic use and fearful and adverse to unfamiliarity.
Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: chenks on February 09, 2021, 01:51:03 PM
VOIP has nothing to do with having a computer or mobile.
all new virgin connections now supply phone versions via VOIP (using the hub) so you need a hub even if you don't have internet services just for the phone line

BT are also moving over to providing "landline" services via VOIP.
Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: Alex Atkin UK on February 09, 2021, 09:22:45 PM
III'm not so sure. Maybe the take up of VoIP will be less than expected. There are still people around without a computer or mobile and, if they do, make very limited basic use and fearful and adverse to unfamiliarity.

Either way, demand for landline numbers may be less, as right now you sign up for DSL broadband and get one allocated by default.
However moving forward, you can sign up for FTTP as a data only service.
Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: j0hn on February 10, 2021, 07:06:45 AM
BT has started offering a broadband only service already.

https://www.bt.com/broadband/broadband-without-landline

Talktalk FTTP comes with no landline, even if you wanted 1.

The use of landline numbers will decline. I can't see us ever running out of numbers.
Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: tubaman on February 10, 2021, 09:27:27 AM
BT has started offering a broadband only service already.

https://www.bt.com/broadband/broadband-without-landline
...

I noticed this the other day. There is clearly a demand or they wouldn't be offering it.

Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: licquorice on February 10, 2021, 09:34:15 AM
If you look over on the BT Community Forums, you will notice that a great many people respond that they don't possess a telephone with which to check for a noisy line when asked to do so.
Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: renluop on February 10, 2021, 09:50:14 AM
If you look over on the BT Community Forums, you will notice that a great many people respond that they don't possess a telephone with which to check for a noisy line when asked to do so.
Err, noisy line, but no phone? Confused! :)
Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: chenks on February 10, 2021, 09:53:40 AM
where's the confusion?
Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: roseway on February 10, 2021, 10:19:18 AM
@renluop: he's talking about electrical noise, i.e. interference, not audible noise.
Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: renluop on February 10, 2021, 10:34:52 AM
@renluop: he's talking about electrical noise, i.e. interference, not audible noise.
Ah, yes; thanks for a more helpful reply than that preceding.
Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: licquorice on February 10, 2021, 11:18:14 AM
No, I'm talking about audible noise causing broadband problems but folks don't have a phone to check for audible noise as a basic check.

Expanding on that, I was just indicating that although most people will have a landline number, there is a large number that don't actually use it or even have the wherewith-all to do so. Hence the lack of need for numbers.
Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: chenks on February 10, 2021, 11:33:52 AM
Ah, yes; thanks for a more helpful reply than that preceding.

my reply wasn't intended to be helpful, it was asking you to clarify where the confusion was on your part.
Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: kitz on February 15, 2021, 03:33:23 PM
Quote
my reply wasn't intended to be helpful,

I think most of us can foresee a confusion with the term 'noisy line' when it comes to audible noise on the phone line v EMI noise, as the term is sometimes used interchangeably. 

Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: chenks on February 16, 2021, 08:05:49 AM
I think most of us can foresee a confusion with the term 'noisy line' when it comes to audible noise on the phone line v EMI noise, as the term is sometimes used interchangeably.

hence why i asked where the confusion was.
i was a pretty simple question.
Title: Re: Idle thought- telephone numbers
Post by: renluop on February 16, 2021, 12:22:56 PM
hence why i asked where the confusion was.
i was a pretty simple question.
Well, had you just reminded me there were both line and EMI noise, I'd've caught on. Never mind; all is clear now. ;D