What are Non Geographic Numbers?

Non-geographic numbers cover all telephone numbers that are non area specific, i.e. they do not begin with an area code like 0161, 0207, 01859, etc. Non-geographic numbers begin 08 or 09 and include 0800, 0845, 0870, 0871, 090.

Which Non Geographic Number?

Our Guide to Non Geographic Numbers (NGNs)

Would you like to find out what those-in-the-know have to say about non geographic numbers? The information in the article below comes straight from well-informed experts with special knowledge about non geographic numbers.

Here in the UK the term ‘non-geographic numbers’ refers to telephone numbers that typically start with the digits 08xx xxx xxx.

However, as the name suggests the term can also be used to describe any telephone number that cannot be placed to a geographic area of the UK, e.g. London or Manchester.

Examples of non geographic numbers:

• 0800 Freephone
• 0845 Local Rate
• 0844 Special Rate
• 0870 National Rate
• 0871 Special Rate
• 070x Personal Numbers *
• 090x Premium Rate

How do Non Geographic Telephone numbers work?

All non geographic numbers work in the same way, they are virtual numbers that simply point to fixed local destionations.

The destination telephone number is not affected in any way. Any services you have on the telephone line e.g. 1471, Caller Display or Diverts will work as normal.

Why do companies use non-geographic numbers (NGNs)?

Companies use NGNs for many reasons, here are some:

• Portable – It’s a fact of life that companies move premises and it’s not always possible to keep your existing telephone number(s). For any Company changing telephone numbers is a nuisance – new company literature, contacting your customers etc. Using an NGN means you will never have to change your telephone number(s) again*. You would simply need to change where your NGN(s) point.
• Monitor Marketing - You can set up any number of NGNs to point to just one telephone number. This gives you the opportunity to use different numbers for different publications / promotions, allowing you to measure the effectiveness of your marketing. e.g. a Company could use a different NGN in their Yellow Pages advert, to the one on their website.
• Call Routing - NGNs can help you to control where and when your calls are received. Lots of different options are available including Routing by time of day / day of week which allows you to control where and when you receive your calls based on the time of the day, or the day of the week or Automatic routing on unanswered or busy where if for any reason your line is either not answered (after X seconds), or busy (engaged), your call can be automatically re-routed to another number.
• Increase Sales Response – Whilst claims that using a Freephone number will generate a ‘300 percent’ increase in calls may be extravagant, it’s widely accepted that potential Customers are more likely to ring you if you advertise a number that’s cheaper to ring than your competitors.
• Generate Revenue – 0844/0871 numbers can be used to generate revenue and are therefore ideally suited to technical support lines, advice lines and data response services where the use of a premium rate number (090x) may be unsuitable. However certain number types e.g. 0870/0871, may not be suitable for companies expecting a large amount of calls from certain 'at risk' sections of society e.g. the elderly or people on fixed/low incomes.
• Professional Image – Certain number types e.g. 0845 and 0870 numbers, have long been associated with large national companies; when was the last time you saw a standard telephone number appear in a TV advert, for any major company? Rightly or wrongly, start-up companies especially may benefit from using NGN to help portray a professional ‘business image’.
• Disaster Planning – In the event that your landline telephone number develops a fault, NGN can be dynamically re-routed to another landline number or voicemail service.

Which Non Geographic Number is right for me?

Its entirely up to you and your buisness. Choosing the right number will have a positive impact on your business. Choosing the wrong number may put your customers off your service. To help request a quote now!

†From 1st August 2009 0870 calls cost the same as calls to landline numbers starting 01/02 and can be included as part of any inclusive call minutes or discount schemes for landline calls.

This will apply to calls from any UK operator (including mobiles).

Prior to 1st August 2009 0870 calls are charged at up to 8p/min from BT landlines. Calls from other networks may vary. Calls made from Mobiles will cost considerable more.

If you still can’t decide which non-geographic number is right for your business, call us for a Free no-obligation chat on 0845 076 1001*.

*Lines are open 9.00am-5.00pm, Mon-Fri.

I have an existing non-geographic number with another carrier...

Denwa are able to offer a full range of non-geographic numbers (NGN’s) to our customers, all at fantastic rates. If a customer has a NGN that originated with another carrier, Denwa are able to port this to one of our preferred carriers.

About Non Geographic Numbers

Non-geographic calls are those made to 03, 05, 070/076, 080, 0845, 0870, 083/4, 0871, 09, 116 and 118 numbers. People use these numbers to call businesses and Government agencies, to get information, make payments for services and...

21 Dec 2010

Read more

Phone Pay Plus Compliance for 0871 Numbers

If you are considering utilizing 0871 telephone numbers for your business communications, you must be familiar with the rules regarding pricing and call times. These are enforced by PhonePay Plus (PPP), the business number telecoms regulator. In this article, you...

08 Dec 2010

Read more

08 Number Lookup site

UK Telephone Code Locator This online UK Telephone Code Locator takes telephone numbers, 0800 / 08xx numbers, std codes, access/short codes, telephone exchange names or the name of a location. The site then returns useful information like where the area is, ...

06 Aug 2010

Read more