Communications Act 2003

62 Numbering reorganisations

(1) This section applies to the withdrawal of an allocation for the purposes of a numbering reorganisation that is applicable to a particular series of telephone numbers.

(2) The allocation is to be withdrawn only if the reorganisation, so far as it relates to numbers of any description, is not such as to discriminate unduly—

(a) against particular communications providers;

(b) against particular users of the allocated numbers; or

(c) against a particular description of such providers or users.

(3) The allocation must not be withdrawn if the reorganisation fails to provide for withdrawn allocations to be replaced by allocations of telephone numbers so nearly resembling the numbers to which the withdrawal relates as the purpose of the reorganisation allows.

(4) Where a replacement allocation is made for the purposes of the re-organisation—

(a) no payment is to be made to OFCOM in respect of the making of the replacement allocation; but

(b) subsection (5) is to apply.

(5) Where this subsection applies—

(a) a provision for the making of periodic payments in respect of the withdrawn allocation is to be treated, to the extent that OFCOM determine that it should, as a provision requiring the making of periodic payments in respect of the replacement allocation; and

(b) OFCOM may, if they think fit, make such repayments or adjustments of a provision for payment as appear to them to be appropriate in consequence of differences between—

(i) the numbers to which the withdrawn allocation relates; and

(ii) the numbers to which the replacement allocation relates.