Glossary · Numbering
Virtual phone number
In one sentence
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.
Also known as : virtual number · virtual numbers · virtual phone numbers · virtual landline · cloud number · cloud numbers
What is a virtual phone number?
A traditional number lives on a copper pair or a SIM card. A virtual phone number lives in the provider’s network instead: when someone calls it, the platform decides where the call goes. That might be an app on your mobile, a softphone on your laptop, a cloud PBX, or another number altogether.
The term covers several things: a London 020 or Manchester 0161 number used without a BT line, a non-geographic 03 number, or a number in another country so customers there can call you at local rates. What they share is the split between the number people know and the place where it is answered, which you can change at any time.
How it works
- The provider takes the number from the blocks the regulator has allocated to it.
- The number is mapped in the provider’s platform to a destination: a SIP account, a group of users or an app.
- When someone dials it, the call reaches the provider, which delivers it over VoIP to that destination.
- On outbound calls, users can present the virtual number as their caller ID from the app, even when calling from a personal handset.
Opening hours, call forwarding and voicemail rules are set in a web portal, with no engineer visit.
Example
A software start-up based in Lisbon sells to customers in the UK and Ireland. It takes a London 020 number and a Dublin 01 number, both routed to the same three-person support team working from Portugal. UK customers call a local number instead of an international one, and calls are tagged by country so the team knows who is calling before answering. Outside support hours both numbers go to a shared voicemail box that sends recordings by email.
Rules worth knowing
A virtual number is still part of the national numbering plan, so the usual obligations apply. Providers must be able to identify the user, and under Ofcom’s rules the number you present on outbound calls must be valid and one you are entitled to use (see caller ID). Other countries set their own requirements, sometimes including a local address or company registration.
Virtual numbers can usually be moved to another provider through number porting, provided that range is portable in the country concerned.
Virtual numbers at Universal Telecom
We provide local and national numbers in the UK, France and many other countries, usable in the app, on the virtual PBX or on your own PBX. Available countries are listed under global numbering and on the coverage page.
Frequently asked questions
Is a virtual number a real phone number?
Yes. It comes from the national numbering plan, is allocated to a provider by the regulator (Ofcom in the UK, ComReg in Ireland) and can be dialled like any other number. Only the line behind it is virtual.
Can I get a UK number if my business is abroad?
Often yes, but conditions depend on the number type. Providers must know who uses the number, and some geographic ranges expect a link to the area. Check the requirements for the specific country and range before ordering.
Can a virtual number receive texts?
It depends on the range. Most geographic and 03 numbers are voice only; mobile-range numbers can handle SMS, subject to the provider and the regulator's rules.
Related terms
- 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.
- Geographic number
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.
- Call forwarding
Call forwarding automatically redirects calls arriving on a number or extension to another destination, such as a mobile, a colleague or voicemail, either always or only when the line is busy or unanswered.
- Softphone
A softphone is a phone application that runs on a computer or smartphone. It replaces the desk phone and connects to the company phone system over VoIP, using the business number.
- Cloud PBX
A cloud PBX is a business phone system run by a provider in its data centres. Extensions, IVR menus, queues and call routing are managed from a web portal, with no PBX hardware on site.
- 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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