Telephone Numbers In the UK?

Question

Is there any logical connection between one's telephone number and one's adress in the UK (apart from the first six digits which form the area code), or are numbers just assigned at random? (There is a sort of correlation of numbers between people who live close together, so I'm inclined to doubt this...)?

Merci.

Answer 1

BT issued numbers are 'fairly' geographic.

eg. all the people served by a certain exchange (north of city / south of city, western suburb etc.) will USUALLY have the same starting numbers (not just the area code).

Other telephone operators do not normally allow for this.

So it's partly true.

Answer 2

No, because when you move house you can take your old number w/ you.

Also local businesses can buy easy to remember numbers for example 01234 112233.

Answer 3

Yes, there used to be, not so much nowadays. In an exchange the blocks on the frame,( where the wires terminate) were allocated a block of numbers ie- 123401 to 123500 and so on, and each of these would go to a cabinet, ( the green boxes on the side of the road ). Depending on the size of the estate these fed usually upto 600 customers, but can be more. Then as people moved onto the estate they would be allocated the next number on that block and this is why neighbours could have very similar numbers.

But since people started moving around the same exchange area but keeping their number, this idea was abandoned.

Now people are allocated the next number on the list regardless of where they live in that exchange area.