Reactivating a deactivated old number

wf2025 · ‎24-08-2026

Hello all,

I have seen similar topics on this but nothing recent and / or specific.

I have been in touch with the customer care via the chat function regarding a PAYG number belonging to an elderly relative. Long story short it's now been deactivated through lack of use and I am trying to have it reactivated. The team have told me that it's no longer active, has not been reassigned to another customer, but is no longer available for them to recover. The number itself was originally allocated to Orange by OfCom.

I totally understand this number is no longer available for return to me. But I have also been told that once a number is deactivated it is returned to the respective operators' inventory for re-issue, in this case EE themselves being the successor to Orange.

I've also spoken to another mobile operator who have told me that EE have not released the number.

Can anyone tell me if there is any mechanism to regaining this number? I'd even be happy to pay for it.

XRaySpeX · ‎24-08-2026

@wf2025 :No, if it were deactivated due to lack of use for over 9 months then you have lost it completely & can't get it back.

EE PAYG SIMs are deactivated after 6 months of non-chargeable use. You then have a further 3 months period of grace to call EE to reactivate it before it is lost completely.

You needed to make a chargeable action like making a chargeable call or text, topping up or buying a Pack or Add-on, not just using your mins, texts or data from your pack.

If you think I helped please feel free to hit the "Thumbs Up" button below.

To phone EE CS: Dial Freephone +44 800 079 8586 - Option 1 for Home Broadband & Home Phone or Option 2 for Mobile Phone & Mobile Broadband

ISPs: 1999: Freeserve 48K Dial-Up > 2005: Wanadoo 1 Meg BB > 2007: Orange 2 Meg BB > 2008: Orange 8 Meg LLU > 2010: Orange 16 Meg LLU > 2011: Orange 20 Meg WBC > 2014: EE 20 Meg WBC > 2020: EE 40 Meg FTTC > 2022:EE 80 Meg FTTC SoGEA > 2025 EE 150 Meg FTTP

wf2025 · ‎24-08-2026

Thanks for the reply.

I suppose my question was more around what happens once that process has occurred. Apparently the number is quarantined for a period before being released to the original network and ultimately recycled. In this case the original network was Orange, now EE.

A more accurate question might be how long is that quarantine for? Do EE have the ability to access it during quarantine, or after this when it is released for recycling? Other networks seem to be of the opinion that this needs to be released by EE.