Family Mobile allowed you to choose, for free, a number from the selection they had on offer before signing-up for a SIM (which cost £10, but you then received that in PAYG credit). Alas the Family Mobile MVNO closed down in the summer of 2015.

Long ago, the defunct easyMobile MVNO offered something similar. And I'm sure at least one of the main networks did for a while too, possibly it was Orange.

Are there now any providers that let you choose from a selection of numbers before you sign up with them? I'm not really thinking of specialist companies that sell 'Gold' or 'Platinum' numbers and the like (often for a fair whack of cash), rather just normal providers.

I managed to get a "gold" number for free from 3. I don't know what their normal practice is, or if I was meant to pay more for it, but I signed up to a SIM only contract and got it. Even has a gold sticker on the packet.

I can remember when I got my first mobile from Vodafone (1998-ish), the guy in the shop gave me a list of about 20 numbers to choose from. The last 6 digits are all double numbers so it's easy to remember - and all this time later I still have it.

They still did this at least as late as 2011, the guy pointed the till screen at me and let me browse

Indeed, some T-Mobile stores would happily do this pre-EE - showing you the list on screen if signing up for a contract, passing you a box of sims and saying 'take your pick' for PAYG.

However, for what the OP is after:


I think FreedomPop is the closest (if not only) option these days, as they certainly give you a selection of numbers to choose from when signing up. I got one that way from them anyway when I signed up, not 'Gold' or whatever, but decent.

I got xxxx xx 23456, xxxx xx 45678, xxxx xy 45678 from Family Mobile when they started up !!

But they don't allow porting so the number would be lost if you wanted to move.

I wouldn't recommend them anymore, they also block all 03xx, 08xx including 0800 and 0808 saying they don't connect calls to non-geographic numbers.

Are either of those allowed by Ofcom rules?

I've reported them to OFCOM as I believe they should comply with the regulations, their excuse is that they are only a VOIP provider so the rules don't apply to them.

They first said:


I then pointed out the regulations relating to 03xx and 0800.

This was their reply:

I like their attempts to hide behind "we are a VoIP service" as if it means anything here.

The "VoIP service" I use complies with the rules and regulations, as you'd expect from any credible firm, regardless of whether they use VoIP to get the call to your phone or not

They still did that up until a month or so ago when it was changed to a choice of two.

Especially where you can pay extra for "premium voice" which gets your calls routed via the normal cellular network iirc.

Let's see if OFCOM actually do anything.

Just remember the number you numpties. It isn't hard.

My primary mobile number includes 7 of the same number + another number that repeats twice

Hope Ofcom finally crack their whip. They do seem to be a bit "light touch" especially considering the stuff with BTEE and the like. If they're advertising themselves as a mobile provider (Their website title is UK's number 1 cheapest mobile phone deal) then they should follow the rules.

That's a good point, I might add that in a second email to them.

It took Ofcom years to rule on 070 numbers (that they should play an announcement detailing call costs; it was quickly reversed), or that 0845/0870 shouldn't be revenue sharing numbers, or that 0800 should be free from mobiles.

By the time they rule on this, FreedomPop will probably have shut down

You have a point, and knowing OFCOM they probably will be as slow as a sloth in doing something , but the 03xx included in allowance rules are pretty specific, the others in the past were only covered by vague guidelines that made it a free for all for the cowboys.


http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/bin...dification.pdf

I payed £50 through cpw when signing up to O2 to choose a decent number. What was important to was how easy it was to read out to people rather than want it looks like written down if you get my drift. Eg 07383 400 444 very easy for peeps to instantly remember & write down...

My number goes right up the keypad sequentially and is a good number which I selected from a list on when I first joined the network. However it really doesn't matter these days as everyone has names stored in their phones and nobody really dials it, except the first time.

Exactly. You no longer dial a number, you dial a person and if you have an iPhone, half the time you only dial a person via Facetime audio or video.

Having said that, Stereo Steve, didn't you say once you got an Orange silver number by complete fluke? or did I dream that.
Do you still have it???

Except in Devon, where you're yet to have touchtone right Devon? Rotary dial and loop disconnect isn't it in your area?

Shake the handset to settle the crystals if the line is not clear? "Hello Kingsbridge 4021"

You may well laugh but I remember when I was, I dunno, about 12 ish, (so 1980 maybe...) when we couldn't get a dial tone on the landline we would go out and pour water on the earth cable going into the ground.
Only happened in the summer when it was hot and dry.
That is no joke. That actually happened!!

That's funny, of course the joke is on me as down in Devon you've got 4G and I haven't here on EE or Three at home! There's a little island of missing 4G, the only area locally when you look on the map that seems to be missing it.

I'm not too fussed as I've got wifi on a 150Mb/s connection with WirelessAC 5Ghz, so I don't need 4G at home, and I have it in other places that I go to .

Next you'll be saying that massive sparks used to fly out of the phone during lightening storms.

I do have a bit of a fancy number, just by pure fluke. Is it worth anything? Can I get a boob job?