Number Conservation and Overlays
As the number of lines in use continues to grow some areas are close to full capacity. In the late-1990s, Ofcom signalled a number of areas of concern.
| By 2005 | By 2012 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 01202 | Bournemouth | 01204 | Bolton |
| 01203 | Coventry | 01344 | Ascot |
| 01223 | Cambridge | 01582 | Markyate |
| 01224 | Aberdeen | 01604 | Northampton |
| 01273 | Brighton | 01706 | Rochdale |
| 01274 | Bradford | 01733 | Peterborough |
| 01332 | Derby | 01753 | Iver |
| 01483 | Guildford | ||
| 01642 | Middlesbrough | ||
| 01772 | Preston | ||
| 01782 | Stoke-on-Trent | ||
| 01865 | Oxford | ||
| 01902 | Wolverhampton | ||
| 01942 | Wigan | ||
Of these only Coventry was addressed by migration to the 024 code and eight digit subscriber numbers.
In November 2010, Ofcom proposed to abandon renumbering and instead provide capacity by starting to use local numbers beginning '0' and '1', and removing the option of dialling locally using just the subscriber number. Once the supply of new numbers released by this measure is exhausted Ofcom propose introducing additional, overlay area codes to run in tandem with current codes. It is anticipated that the overlay codes would not be required before 2022.
Under this policy Bournemouth numbers can no longer be dialled locally from 1 November 2012.
Read more about this topic: Telephone Numbers In The United Kingdom
Famous quotes containing the words number, conservation and/or overlays:
“Can it be, that the Greek grammarians invented their dual number for the particular benefit of twins?”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“A country grows in history not only because of the heroism of its troops on the field of battle, it grows also when it turns to justice and to right for the conservation of its interests.”
—Aristide Briand (1862–1932)
“Cynicism makes things worse than they are in that it makes permanent the current condition, leaving us with no hope of transcending it. Idealism refuses to confront reality as it is but overlays it with sentimentality. What cynicism and idealism share in common is an acceptance of reality as it is but with a bad conscience.”
—Richard Stivers, U.S. sociologist, educator. The Culture of Cynicism: American Morality in Decline, ch. 1, Blackwell (1994)