Glossary · Numbering
Geographic number
In one sentence
A geographic number is a landline number whose area code points to a place, such as 020 for London or 01 for Dublin. It signals a local presence and is charged as a standard national call.
Also known as : geographic number · geographic numbers · local number · local numbers · geographic phone number
What is a geographic number?
In the UK, landline numbers beginning 01 or 02 are geographic: the area code tells you roughly where the line is. 020 is London, 0161 Manchester, 0131 Edinburgh, 029 Cardiff, 028 Northern Ireland. Ireland works the same way with codes such as 01 for Dublin, 021 for Cork and 091 for Galway.
They differ from mobile numbers (07 in the UK, 08x in Ireland), from non-geographic numbers such as UK 03 and 08 numbers, and from freephone numbers.
For a business, a geographic number is mainly about trust and reach. People are more likely to answer, and to call, a number that looks local.
How it works
- The regulator (Ofcom in the UK, ComReg in Ireland) allocates blocks of numbers to providers by area code.
- The provider assigns a number to its customer after checking who they are and where they are based.
- The number can sit on a copper line, a fibre connection, or no line at all as a virtual phone number on a cloud phone system.
- For the caller nothing changes: it is a standard national call, usually inside their bundle.
Geographic numbers are portable, so they can follow you from one provider to another through number porting.
Example
An online furniture retailer based in Bristol (0117) takes most orders by phone from the north of England. It adds a Leeds 0113 number for its northern advertising, routed to the same team but with its own greeting and call tags. After three months the business compares call volumes per number and sees the local number answered more often on outbound callbacks too, since it shows a familiar area code. Both numbers sit on one system with one set of opening hours.
Worth knowing
- A geographic range can be used for DIDs, so each team or person gets a direct number.
- On outbound calls, the number you present must be one you are entitled to use.
- In the UK, BT’s switch to digital lines doesn’t change your number: it changes the line behind it.
Geographic numbers at Universal Telecom
We supply geographic numbers in the UK and many other countries, usable on the virtual PBX or on your own PBX through a SIP trunk. Available countries are listed under global numbering.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an 01/02 number and an 03 number?
01 and 02 numbers are geographic and tied to an area code. 03 numbers are non-geographic but cost the same to call as 01/02 numbers and count towards inclusive minutes, so they suit businesses that want one national number.
Do I need an office in the area to have a local number?
Providers must know who the user is and where they are based, and Ofcom expects geographic numbers to be used in a way that doesn't mislead callers. Rules differ by country, so check the conditions for the area and range you want.
Related terms
- Virtual phone number
A virtual phone number is a real phone number with no physical line behind it: calls are routed over the internet to a mobile app, a softphone or a phone system, wherever you are.
- DID (direct inward dialling)
A DID (direct inward dialling) number, called a DDI in the UK, is a public phone number that rings a specific extension, team or call flow directly, without passing through a switchboard.
- Non-geographic number (03, 08)
A non-geographic number is a number not linked to any area, such as UK 03, 084 or 087 numbers. 03 numbers cost the same as a local call; 084 and 087 add a service charge set by the business.
- Freephone number (0800)
A freephone number is a number that is free for the caller, such as 0800 and 0808 in the UK or 1800 in Ireland. The business pays for the call, so it suits helplines and campaigns where cost could put callers off.
- Number porting
Number porting is moving an existing phone number from one provider to another so the business keeps the same number. The new provider runs the process; the old service ends when the port completes.
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