A Rant

[drplokta]

Since I've abdicated, I guess this isn't actually legally binding. But everyone should do it anyway.

How to Write UK Phone Numbers

UK phone numbers are written as the dialling code, including the 0 national prefix, followed by the phone number. They may alternatively be written as +44 followed by the dialling code (excluding the 0 national prefix), followed by the phone number. You may not try to combine the national and international versions into one -- if you want to give both versions, give both versions. If you want, you can put brackets around a geographic dialling code -- but not around a non-geographic one that can never be omitted from the number. 7 digit phone numbers may be grouped 3-4 (with no punctuation). 8 digit phone numbers may be grouped 4-4. Nice and simple, isn't it? So why do so many people get it wrong?

Mostly because they don't know their dialling code. There are no such dialling codes as 0207 and 0208. London has a dialling code of 020 and eight digit phone numbers. All mobile phone numbers have five digit dialling codes (including the 0) and six digit number. The recently issued dialling codes starting 011 are all four digit codes and seven digit numbers.

So the following are correct:

020 7123 4567
07941 123456
+44 118 912 3456
National: 01244 123456
International: +44 1244 123456
(01244) 123456
0845 7484950

And the following are wrong:

0207 123 4567
0794 112 3456
+44 (0)118 912 3456
01189 123456
(0845) 7484950

Is that clear?

Comments

[vampwillow]

er ... you are somewhat wrong too. I had to research this a couple of years ago:

* 3-4-4 structure:
02x xxxx xxxx
07x xxxx xxxx

* 4-3-4 structure
01x1 xxx xxxx
011x xxx xxxx
08xx xxx xxxx (though sometimes 08xxx xxxxxx)

*5-6 structure
01xxx xxxxxx

I have a PHP subroutine that formats a number if anyone wants a copy ...

[drplokta]

I'm going to need some more convincing that mobile phones have three digit dialling codes. I agree with all the rest of what you say.

[vampwillow]

if you go back to "The Big Number" leaflets when they made the change on STD codes for mobiles from the 04xxx and 07xxxx you will see that they listed them as, eg,

0410 xxxxxx => 077 10xx xxxx

thus a 3-4-4 presentation, in line with the 02 (and 03) series' numbers. I believe it was also the case that, initially at least, 070, 071, 072 ... 079 could be linked aross to which network the number was to be on (but number portability then put paid to that idea!)

With non-geographic numbers it is all a matter of presentation anyway rather than a distinct 'exchange - subscriber' structure as all digits must be dialed, unlike geographic numbers where you can still dial within main (as opposed to sub-) exchange.

Now then ... where did I put that reverse search database ... ;-P