When will they run out of numbers ?

[Evans Electric]

I'm amazed  we havn't run out of cell phone numbers by now .        I notice  if you buy a new phone , theres a card with it  so , I believe , you could go straight onto Pay -as-you Go  ,  or ...this bit gets me ....throw it away and insert your own SIM card .  

How many combinations of 11 numbers can we have and afford to throw some away . ?  

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Simple answer to your question..

11 digits is a max No of combinations of

99,999,999,999

Or in simple terms.. well over 90 thousand million..

(which can be known a 90 billion, But billion can also be a million million!!)

Anyway you then have to remember that every phone number also has its country code prefix, where you also drop the first zero..

so technically a mobile number such as 07123 456789.. 

is actually +44 7123 456789  with its correct country code..

Therefore each country has 9billion number combinations to play around with for their population..

and according to the internet the world has a population of just under 8billion..

https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/

Each mobile provider has multiple groups of 999,999 number to play with..

depending upon how many prefix codes they own..

https://www.whocallsme.eu/phone-codes-mobile-operators

:coffee

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

I assume unused mobile numbers can be reallocated at a later date..

Just as traditional landlines were re-used...

When I first went self employed I had two land-lines at home..

One for work & one for home..

Eventually as internet & mobile communications became the norm I cancelled the work landline.

After remaining dormant for a few years I later found my old work land line was now a chip shop!!

(as & old customer had tried calling me on it)

:C   

 

[Evans Electric]

Wow !  thanks for that   .    It was the  waste of a number with a new phone that puzzled me .  

 

[Murdoch]

This helps

https://www.synergy-mobile.co.uk/2019/04/09/have-you-ever-wondered-what-happens-to-your-old-mobile-phone-number/

 

[Evans Electric]

Thanks Murdo .

 

[binky]

After remaining dormant for a few years I later found my old work land line was now a chip shop!!

(as & old customer had tried calling me on it)

:C   

if you are ever tempted to get a new landline, don't accept a recycled number - it's a right pain in the neck getting phonecalls for Tracy who hasn't paid her catalogue bills.