topic Re: Why do you reuse phone numbers in Archived Posts

Why do you reuse phone numbers

Nickismurf — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 23:50:50 GMT

Can you please explain why you reuse phone numbers

Re: Why do you reuse phone numbers

BrendonH — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 06:38:46 GMT

There are only so many phone numbers. They have to otherwise theyd run out.

Re: Why do you reuse phone numbers

Schockwave — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 12:02:12 GMT

Hello @Nickismurf ,

Welcome to the community,

To add to what @BrendonH has written, it is the same with landline numbers, phone numbers are recycled, same applies to mobile numbers, as there are only so many and only so many possibilities, so do get re-used. Do you have a problem with the number you were given?

Re: Why do you reuse phone numbers

Profile closed — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 12:14:22 GMT

@Schockwave so why can't a new system of "numbers" be introduced with letters instead of numbers or with a combination of letters and numbers? That would produce a vast number of new "numbers" - even designer ones...

Re: Why do you reuse phone numbers

BrendonH — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 12:16:09 GMT

Because that is impossible

Re: Why do you reuse phone numbers

Profile closed — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 12:28:16 GMT

@BrendonH not so. It would take the will to do it. That's all.

Re: Why do you reuse phone numbers

Schockwave — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 12:34:12 GMT

@Profile closed , this may not work when calling from other countries and confuse the issue when using a landline, and why not re-use old phone numbers that are redundant anyway? What is wrong with that?

The other thing is, that when dialling a number with letters, not as easy as dialling with just numbers, also many people could find this difficult. There are disabled people, for instance and visually impaired people, who would struggle with that as well.

Re: Why do you reuse phone numbers

Profile closed — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 13:30:21 GMT

@Schockwave yes, of course such an alpha numerical system would need to be global. Yes, potentially difficult for the visually impaired - but there would be ways around that. And, yes, I suppose numbers can be reused - but the draw back is the history of the number you get given. Anyway, I keep my number and I limit giving details out and I use blocking, etc.

Re: Why do you reuse phone numbers

Chris_B — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 14:16:46 GMT

@Profile closed If I’ve done my homework correctly on this there are 1000000000 permutations of a 10 digit number. You can not include the first number 0 as that can not change.

Do you remember when landlines got an extra digit because of a shortage of numbers ?

Re: Why do you reuse phone numbers

Profile closed — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 14:46:55 GMT

@Chris_B you are always right in everything you say. I bow down to you. Please accept the hair on my head as your hand towel.