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Guidance to Communications Providers on applying for 020 3 London numbers

Ofcom announced on 13 July 2004 that the next range of numbers to be made available for the London code area (020) will be local numbers beginning with ‘3’.

Ofcom also announced, on 15 November 2004, that the additional range of numbers beginning with '3' would be available to Communications Providers from 1 June 2005, and that it would cease to allocate to Communications Providers, any further London numbers beginning with ‘7’ or ‘8’ from that date.

Ofcom wishes to continue to allocate number ranges to Communications Providers in a fair and non-discriminatory manner. Ofcom also wishes to make the processes for applying for and being allocated (020) 3 numbers as transparent as possible. Ofcom is therefore setting out the guidance, below.

• Ofcom will accept applications for (020) 3 numbers that arrive in its office from 9am on Wednesday 1 June 2005. Applications received prior to this time will not be accepted.
  
• Applications for (020) 7 or (020) 8 numbers will not be accepted from 9am on Wednesday 1 June 2005.
  
• In order to ensure good husbandry of Telephone Numbers, Ofcom will initially make available the first 300 x 10k number blocks i.e. (020) 3000 to 3299. This range of numbers will be shown on Ofcom’s website from 1 June 2005 . Additional ranges will be made available as and when required.
  
• Communications Providers should make applications for (020) 3 number blocks on Form S1, available on Ofcom’s website.
  
• Eligible Communications Providers that have never previously applied for Telephone Numbers from Ofcom, and that are unfamiliar with the application process, should endeavour to contact Ofcom’s Numbering Unit before 1 June 2005, for details, if they wish to obtain (020) 3 London numbers.
  
• Ofcom will continue to process applications on a first come first served basis, and it will use the time the application was received in Ofcom to decide between any applicants applying for the same number block.
  
• Ofcom will, as usual, accept applications via e-mail, post or facsimile. However, the time that a fax or postal application is received by Ofcom’s Numbering Unit is less guaranteed than for an e-mail application. Ofcom therefore recommends that applications be sent via e-mail (to the usual numbering applications e-mail address).
  
• Exceptionally, and for a period of two months only from 1 June 2005, applicants should submit only one application form for (020) 3 number blocks, per e-mail. Also, Communications Providers should only submit a maximum of 10 x (020) 3 blocks per application form.
  
• Applicants should, as usual, state a first and second choice for each block required. However, it will be helpful to Ofcom if applicants state in the application that if the first and second choices are not available, then Ofcom may select the next available block(s).
  
• Exceptionally, and for a period of two months only (in the interests of a smooth change to (020) 3 numbers for Communications Providers and consumers), Ofcom will not require that an applicant has utilised existing London numbering capacity allocated to it, before allocating (020) 3 London number blocks to that applicant. However, Ofcom will continue to generally allocate only one London number block at a time per Communications Providers’ switch.
  
• Communications Providers may continue to issue (020) 7 and (020) 8 numbers to their customers from 1 June 2005 from their available capacity.

Ofcom

May 2005

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