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Home > Telecoms > Information for Telecoms Industry > Numbering Policy > Administered Numbers
The National Numbering Scheme - Telephone Numbers administered by Ofcom
Details on Allocations and availability of UK Telephone Numbers may be accessed below.
(This information is updated weekly where possible).
If you experience problems when downloading files from this page, please try the Numbering mirror site.
In the bulleted links below, information is available in Excel 97 files.
- Geographic Numbers
- UK Wide Numbers
- Corporate Numbers and Location Independent Electronic Communications Services (numbers beginning 055 and 056)
- Personal Numbering, Radiopaging & Mobile numbers
- Special Services (numbers beginning 08)
- Special Services at a Premium Rate (numbers beginning 09)
- Access Codes
- Number Portability Prefix Codes ("NPPC")
- Carrier Pre Selection ("CPS") Codes
- Communications Provider Identity ("CUPID") codes
- Reseller Identity ("RID") codes
- Mobile Network Codes ("MNC")
The information on items a-g is also available in Comma-Separated-Variable (CSV) format for downloading (see Data Download below). Please note the Specification on the linked page which lists changes to fields in the files.
Details of Targetted Transit Codes ("TTC"), National and International Signalling Point Codes ("NSPC") and ("ISPC") respectively, are not shown because of potential security issues. However, details of your own codes may be obtained by contacting Ofcom's Numbering Unit.
Data Download
Download CSV or pdf files individually or in a zip archive:
Geographic Numbers
Download in MS Excel format:
Due to the size of the file containing all Geographic Numbers, it has been divided into 4 parts for ease of use as follows:
- Code and number blocks - 1130 00 to 1399 99
- Code and number blocks - 1400 00 to 1799 99
- Code and number blocks - 1800 00 to 1999 99
- Code and number blocks - 2000 00 to 2920 99
(Geographic Area Codes beginning 01 and 02)
UK Wide Numbers
(numbers beginning 03)
05 Numbers
- Download 05 Numbers (MS Excel format)
- Corporate Numbers - 055 numbers
- Location Independent Electronic Communications Services - 056 numbers
(NB. 9-digit numbers starting with 0500, and other 05 number ranges may be shown in this table, but are not available for Allocation)
Personal Numbering, Radiopaging & Mobile Service numbers
(numbers beginning 07)
- Personal Numbering (070 numbers)
- Radiopaging numbers (076 numbers)
- Mobile numbers (075/7/8/9)
Special Services - issued in blocks of 1k & 10k numbers
(numbers beginning 08)
- Freephone (0808 1X and 0808 2X ranges, & details on allocated 0800 10k ranges)
- BT’s Standard Local Call Retail Price for BT customers (0845 XXX ranges)
- BT’s Standard National Call Retail Price for BT customers (0870 XXX ranges)
- Up to 5p - non internet (ranges 0844 2XX to 0844 9XX)
- Up to 10p - non-internet (ranges 0871 2XX to 0871 9XX)
- Internet for Schools (0820 XXX ranges)
Special Services at a Premium Rate
(numbers beginning 090, 091 and 098)
Access Codes
- Type A (eg. 100, 123, etc.)
- Type B (ususally for Directory Enquiry (DQ) 118XXX services, Indirect Access, etc.)
- Type C (usually operator own services)
Number Portability Prefix Codes ("NPPC")
Number Portability Codes (NPCs) are a type of Network Code. They are used for network purposes only and specifically in relation to the provision of portability. There are different NPCs for porting geographic, non-geographic, mobile and personal telephone numbers. A transit NPC is used where traffic to ported numbers is routed from the donor to the recipient via a third party.
NPCs are Allocated as single prefixes that identify the recipient Communications Provider except for Geographic Number Portability Codes which are Allocated in blocks of 100 in order to identify a particular switch or node in the recipient provider's network.
Communications Provider Identity ("CUPID") codes
CUPIDs replace LOPIDs which are recognised by the telecoms industry and may be a prerequisite on specific forms used by the industry for services such as Number Portability arrangements, Data Management Amendments (DMA), orders on phone book entries, etc. Click here.
Carrier Pre Selection ("CPS") codes
CPS codes are four digit codes commencing with the digit 8 (e.g. 8XXX). The CPS codes will be Allocated by Ofcom to Communications Providers solely in connection with Carrier Pre-Selection, a service that allows customers the choice of routing specific types of calls via a selected United Kingdom Communications Provider without the need to dial a prefix before making a call.
If a Communications Provider requests a second 8XXX CPS code, Ofcom will Allocate an additional code provided a satisfactory justification of the need for a second code is given to Ofcom. Ofcom will consider such requests on a case-by-case basis. Communications Providers will not normally be Allocated more than two 8XXX codes for number conservation reasons.
A Communications Provider wishing to implement a second 8XXX code on an access Communications Providers' network may need to address consequential issues arising with the access Communications Provider concerned.
Reseller Identity ("RID") codes
Reseller Identity (RID) Codes, which are also known as retailer identity codes, are three character alphabetic codes that are used to identify the reseller when a reseller wishes to offer carrier pre-selection ("CPS") via a wholesale carrier (also known as a 'CPS operator'). RIDs are also used in the provision of wholesale line rental (WLR) when a WLR service provider wishes to transfer a particular line to WLR and retain the existing CPS arrangements on that line.
Ofcom will issue a RID to any reseller requesting one by means of a RID application
form. There is a list of allocated RIDs in a spreadsheet on Ofcom's web
site at:
www.ofcom.org.uk/telecoms/ioi/numbers/numbers_administered/rid.xls
RIDs: important information
On 16 February 2006, Ofcom issued an open letter to all communications providers and resellers of carrier pre-selection (CPS) and wholesale line rental (WLR) in which it explained that, as of 24 April 2006, the CPS Gateway and the WLR Gateway will reject certain orders placed on it that do not include a valid and active reseller identification (RID) code. The letter (see Reseller identity (RID) – mandatory use in CPS and WLR orders and backfill of existing databases - PDF, 50 Kb) explains why this is necessary. Any provider without a RID who believes that this is likely to affect them should read this letter and apply to Ofcom’s numbering unit for a RID as soon as possible.
Previous use of RIDs for CPS
The previous way in which RIDs were used is as follows:
- BT's systems did not recognise RIDs, nor was the RID recorded against individual CPS end-users.
- A RID was not mandatory for resellers wishing to offer CPS. The CPS processes supported the provisioning of CPS via resellers without the use of the RID. However some CPS operators may have requested that their resellers obtain a RID for administrative purposes internal to the CPS operator.
- The RID was able to be quoted in the CPS order number submitted by the CPS operator to BT Wholesale, providing the rules below were observed, and would not cause BT to reject the CPS order.
- BT would accept the RID embedded in the CPS order number. However, BT's systems did not specifically recognise and record the RID against individual end-users' Calling Line Identifications ("CLI").
- The first three digits of the 11 digit order number had to be the Communications Provider Identification ("CUPID") Codes. The remaining 8 digits could be alpha/numeric except that the letter O would not be accepted as an alpha character. All alpha characters had to be in upper case.
- If a reseller wished to change from one CPS operator to another for wholesale conveyance, then an electronic order was still required to be sent to BT for each CLI by the appropriate CPS Operator. A standard CPS set-up charge would apply to each CLI.
- End-users who contacted BT with a query about CPS would have simply been directed to their 'alternative service provider', rather than being directed to either their CPS operator or reseller by name. If however the end-user did not know the name of their CPS provider, then the BT supervisor would have directed the end-user to the CPS operator (with a suitable explanation to the end-user that it may not have been the CPS Operator who sold them CPS, but that it would be a service provider who would have an agreement with that CPS Operator for the service provider to resell CPS to the end-user).
Use of RIDs for WLR
Service Provider Identity codes ("SPID") are three numerical IDs that are used by BT to identify service providers using the Wholesale Line Rental (aka Wholesale Access) products (including Calls & Access). They have associated with them three character alphabetic abbreviations of the service provider trading name e.g. AB Telecom may be ABT.
BT (not Ofcom) allocates SPIDs to WLR service providers during the WLR service establishment process. Queries about SPIDs should be directed to the service provider's BT Commercial Manager.
An important part of the Wholesale Line Rental – Phase 2 product is 'CPS Retain' functionality which allows lines transferring to retain pre-existing CPS arrangements. This can only be done if the CPS provider is the same entity now transferring the line. BT's CPS Gateway will notify the current CPS operator of pending (and actual) CPS Retain orders, so that the CPS operator can be fully informed as to what is happening to the lines on which it provides CPS. Within this notification will be the RID of the WLR service provider initiating the CPS Retain order. The CPS operator will be able to look on Ofcom's web site to work out which reseller uses this code, and by checking their own records identify if the CPS Retain order is valid or not.
Since BT identifies WLR2 service providers by SPID rather than RID, BT must translate the SPID to the appropriate RID in order to send the correct information in the CPS Retain notifications. All WLR2 service providers have therefore previously been asked to inform BT of their SPID-to-RID mapping (if they intend to use CPS Retain). If the service provider does not provide this information to BT, then no translation is possible and a dummy RID of "AAA" is used in the CPS Retain notification to the CPS operator. If WLR2 service providers require more information about SPIDs or wish to update their SPID-to-RID relationship, they should contact their BT Commercial Manager.
Mobile Network Codes ("MNC")
MNCs are part of the International Mobile Station Identity ("IMSI") code that identify the subscribers host network. The MNC together with the Mobile Country Code ("MCC") uniquely identifies the home network of the mobile terminal or mobile user.
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