Who provides a telephone number?

w00519772

My father is the facilities manager of a business who have bought a new premises. The premises has one active telephone line (there is a dial tone). How does my father find out what service provider supplies the telephone line so that it can be cancelled?

I have looked here: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/850497

Does dialing 150 work for every provider?

Ian011

The provider that the number range was originally allocated to, can be found here:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/numbering/
If the number has been ported out to another provider, they will also know about that.

If you are not the account holder, you may have trouble cancelling the line.

[Deleted User]

w00519772 wrote: »

The premises has one active telephone line (there is a dial tone).

I think he'll need to contact whoever currently rents that line in order to cancel. Only the actual account holder will be able to make any such changes to provision.

Why has a line been left active in an empty property, anyhow?

w00519772

Ian011 wrote: »

The provider that the number range was originally allocated to, can be found here:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/numbering/
If the number has been ported out to another provider, they will also know about that.

If you are not the account holder, you may have trouble cancelling the line.

I have accessed 'Geographic Numbers'. How do I find a specific landline number i.e. 01522 7511xy?

[Deleted User]

w00519772 wrote: »

I have accessed 'Geographic Numbers'. How do I find a specific landline number i.e. 01522 7511xy?

Have you tried just ringing the operator on the line?

Owain_Moneysaver

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

Why has a line been left active in an empty property, anyhow?

So it's quick to change it over to the new occupant.

Just because it has dialling tone doesn't mean that it will work for outgoing calls.

bazzyb

A dial tone doesn't necessarily mean the line is in use.

Dial 17070 from the phone and it will give you all the information you need about that particular line.

w00519772

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

So it's quick to change it over to the new occupant.

Just because it has dialling tone doesn't mean that it will work for outgoing calls.

It does dial out.

w00519772

bazzyb wrote: »

A dial tone doesn't necessarily mean the line is in use.

Dial 17070 from the phone and it will give you all the information you need about that particular line.

What information does this give you?

scones

Those Ofcom files list blocks of phone numbers without the leading zero. The one you need is "SABCDE15= S1 Geographic Codes Starting 15".

Scrolling down through the file reveals that the range of numbers starting [0] 1522 75 are allocated to BT - so might as well start by talking to them.

scones

17070 is a BT test number. It's mainly used by engineers to access line testing facilities - but if you dial it, it will normally read out the number of the line you are calling from.