Section 56: The National Telephone Numbering Plan
152.OFCOM are to publish a document (the National Telephone Numbering Plan) setting out the telephone numbers available for allocation and the restrictions on the adoption and use of telephone numbers allocated under the Plan. One way in which OFCOM might choose to set the numbers out could be as blocks or series of numbers. This implements Article 10(3) of the Framework Directive and Article 27 of the Universal Service Directive. OFCOM are under a duty to review and, if they think fit, to revise the Plan, but subject to the requirements of section 60. OFCOM must also keep day-to-day records of the telephone numbers actually allocated by them under the National Telephone Numbering Plan.
*references to a telephone number are, under subsection (5), references to any number used for identifying the origin, destination or route of an electronic communication. A telephone number is also a number that may be used for selecting a service or for identifying by whose service or network a communication is to be sent; but under subsection (7), the Secretary of State may exclude any description of number from the numbers to be treated as telephone numbers.
*adoption of a telephone number occurs, under subsection (6), where a communications provider allocates or transfers that number to a customer or piece of apparatus, or uses that number for identifying the origin, destination or route of an electronic communication, or designates that number for use in selecting a service, or authorises the use of that number by others for any of the purposes mentioned in subsection (5).
*number is defined in subsection (10) as including data of any description.