Section 56: The National Telephone Numbering Plan, Communications Act 2003

It shall be the duty of OFCOM to publish a document (to be known as "the National Telephone Numbering Plan") setting out—

the numbers that they have determined to be available for allocation by them as telephone numbers;

such restrictions as they consider appropriate on the adoption of numbers available for allocation in accordance with the plan; ...

such requirements as they consider appropriate, for the purpose of protecting consumers, in relation to the tariff principles and maximum prices applicable to numbers so adopted or available for allocation; and

such restrictions as they consider appropriate on the other uses to which numbers available for allocation in accordance with the plan may be put.

It shall be OFCOM's duty—

from time to time to review the National Telephone Numbering Plan; and

to make any revision of that plan that they think fit in consequence of such a review;

but this duty must be performed in compliance with the requirements, so far as applicable, of section 60.

OFCOM must also keep such day to day records as they consider appropriate of the telephone numbers allocated by them in accordance with the National Telephone Numbering Plan.

The publication of the National Telephone Numbering Plan, or of a revision of it, must be in such manner as appears to OFCOM to be appropriate for bringing the contents of the Plan, or of the revised Plan, to the attention of such persons as OFCOM consider appropriate.

In this Chapter references to a telephone number are (subject to subsection (7)) references to any number that is used (whether or not in connection with telephony) for any one or more of the following purposes—

identifying the destination for, or recipient of, an electronic communication;

identifying the origin, or sender, of an electronic communication;

identifying the route for an electronic communication;

identifying the source from which an electronic communication or electronic communications service may be obtained or accessed;

selecting the service that is to be obtained or accessed, or required elements or characteristics of that service; or

identifying the communications provider by means of whose network or service an electronic communication is to be transmitted, or treated as transmitted.

In this Chapter references to the adoption of a telephone number by a communications provider are references to his doing any of the following in relation to a number allocated (whether or not to that provider) by OFCOM—

allocating or transferring that number to a particular customer or piece of apparatus;

using that number for identifying a service or route used by that provider or by any of his customers;

using that number for identifying a communication as one to be transmitted by that provider;

designating that number for use in selecting a service or the required elements or characteristics of a service;

authorising the use of that number by others for any of the purposes mentioned in subsection (5).

The Secretary of State may by order exclude such numbers as may be described in the order from the numbers that are to be treated as telephone numbers for the purposes of this Chapter.

No order is to be made containing provision authorised by subsection (7) unless a draft of the order has been laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House.

References in this section to the allocation of a number are references to its allocation for the purposes of general conditions under section 58 or in accordance with conditions under section 59.

In this section—

Section 56: The National Telephone Numbering Plan

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