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A non-geographic number is a type of telephone number that is not linked to any specific locality. Such numbers are an alternative to the traditional 'landline' numbers that are assigned geographically using a system of location-specific area codes. Non-geographic numbers are used for various reasons, from providing flexible routing of incoming ...
999 is the official emergency number for the United Kingdom, but calls are also accepted on the European Union emergency number, 112. All calls are answered by 999 operators, and are always free. [ 2] Approximately 35 million 999/112 calls are made in the UK each year, with 74% from mobiles and 26% from landlines in 2022.
In the United Kingdom, telephone numbers are administered by the Office of Communications ( Ofcom ). For this purpose, Ofcom established a telephone numbering plan, known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, which is the system for assigning telephone numbers to subscriber stations. Telephone numbers are of variable length.
It is now normal for local calls to cost the same as long-distance UK calls, and is now common, for a small extra monthly charge, to allow free calls to landlines within the UK. This free call allowance does not normally cover calls to the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, which whilst having UK national dialling codes, are separate telephone ...
Skype was founded in 2003 by Niklas Zennström, from Sweden, and Janus Friis, from Denmark. [ 15] The software was created by Estonians Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu, Jaan Tallinn, and Toivo Annus. [ 16] Friis and Annus are credited with the idea of reducing the cost of voice calls by using a P2P protocol like that of Kazaa. [ 17]
The 1 July changes also saw ‘freephone numbers’ 0800 and 0808 become free to call from both mobiles and landlines. 0500 numbers remained chargeable as previously from mobiles (free from landlines, also as previously), but these numbers were migrated to a new 0808 5 number range in June 2017, and are free from mobiles.
Before the UK Calling changes, calls to ‘Freephone’ numbers were generally free when called from a landline, however mobile users were usually charged for calling them. The 1 July legislation made all calls to 0800 and 0808 numbers free for consumers to dial from mobile phones, just as they are from landlines. [7]
In the UK, there were 35 million (2002) mainline telephones. The telephone service in the United Kingdom was originally provided by private companies and local city councils, but by 1912–13 [ 14] all except the telephone service of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire and Guernsey had been bought out by the General Post Office.