No more geographical constraints of landline numbers. From 1is January 2023, customers of telephone operators will be able to keep their fixed telephone number (starting with 01, 02, 03, 04 or 05) in the event of moving to another area of metropolitan France. This is the entry into force of a decision by the telecoms regulator, Arcep, of July 2019.
Until December 31, 2022, each geographic number beginning with 01, 02, 03, 04 or 05 is associated with one of the five large areas segmenting the metropolitan territory, themselves subdivided into 412 smaller areas, called numbering area elementary (ZNE). The end user must then necessarily use a number corresponding to this ZNE.
From 1is January 2023, a resident of Lyon whose fixed telephone number begins with 04 and who moves to Rennes will be able to keep his fixed telephone number. A new fixed subscriber living in Rennes can also ask his operator, if he wishes, that his number does not start with 02, explains Arcep in an explanatory note.
Generalization of VoIP
“Landline numbers overseas remain specific to each territory and any subscriber can move within his territory while keeping his number. On the other hand, it is still not possible to keep your landline number by moving to another overseas territory or to mainland France.completes the Telecoms Regulatory Authority.
Why such a change ? At the technological level, this evolution has been made possible by ” the generalization “ Internet communications (or voice over IP or VoIP) for landline calls, “which lifted geographical constraints that previously existed”explains Arcep.
She mostly responds to a “practical need” for individuals and an economic issue for businesses, she adds. “A move of a few kilometers to a neighboring town located in a different ZNE was enough for a company to be faced with the loss of its landline number”she explains.