# Retrieving an old cell phone number/Help?



## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

Here's the sitch:

Up until 3 months ago, I had a cellular phone number that I used for 7 years.

3 months ago, I changed this cell number.

The old cell number has still not been assigned to anyone and is still owned by Rogers Wireless Communications (which is my provider).

I have called them and they have told me I cannot get the number back. I am having a hard time believing this.

If I was the previous owner for 7 years and I just changed the number, then it should still be in Quarantine. Wouldn't this be quite simple to apply the number to me?
I have no problem paying for this in terms of a fee or service add-on. I'd pay $100 if they wanted.

Just want the number back.... Phone numbers are very important. :distrust:

Any advice? Anybody in the business/industry that can help me?


----------



## jamesbe (May 8, 2010)

Last time I dealt with similar it was quarantined like you said for 6 months then available again. But you would have to be lucky to get it again if it wasn't already handed out. You would think you could put a hold on it, but they don't seem to have a way to do this.

good luck!


----------



## Cal (Jun 17, 2009)

I would request someone in Retention from Rogers, it seems like it should be something that should be possible.


----------



## Taraz (Nov 24, 2013)

You can't reactivate your old account?


----------



## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

I think the real question is why did you change your phone number


----------



## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

I want to bump this thread. Any help is appreciated. Please read below:

Taraz, it wasn't an old "account". I still have the same account with Rogers. It's just the cellular number that was changed.

It has now been over 9 months since I have changed my cellular number. This phone number is _still_ not assigned to anyone. It is also _still_ owned by Rogers.

I have not tried retention, but I did call them about a month ago to try and get this number and the lady said it wasn't available.
I don't understand how it could not be available. It's been 9+ months and this number has not been assigned to anybody in that whole time. I feel like if this was the case with all phone numbers, we would have ran out of numbers by now.

I just have a hard time believing that they own the number, but I can't have the number. It's been my number for 7+ years. 
I feel like this is just a corporate policy issue whereby it CAN be done, but you'd have to speak to the right people for 5 hours to get it completed.

Should I go to a Rogers store? Pardon the language, but usually the people at the Rogers stores at 20-something pompous pricks.


----------



## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

KaeJS said:


> It has now been over 9 months since I have changed my cellular number. This phone number is _still_ not assigned to anyone. It is also _still_ owned by Rogers...


How can you be so sure the number is available? If you can prove it, then escalate and show someone at Robbers that it is available.

(We keep our same numbers but many of our friends change number as often as their underwear.)


----------



## MasterCard (Aug 2, 2013)

Does ROGERS allow you to select from a pool of numbers online?
If so, you could try refreshing to see if you come across that number eventually.

If that does not work, you're pretty much outta luck.
You're idea in theory is fairly simple, but we're dealing with an IT system that is super complicated, outdated and extremely large - building this feature would take a couple million dollars and maybe 8-12 months.


----------



## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

kcowan said:


> How can you be so sure the number is available? If you can prove it, then escalate and show someone at Robbers that it is available.
> 
> (We keep our same numbers but many of our friends change number as often as their underwear.)


I can't really "prove" it.

But if you call the number, it says it's not been assigned. Which means that it is not tied to any account and nobody is using that phone number.

Also, there are sites, such as Fone Finder, that can look up who owns a telephone number.


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

KaeJS said:


> I
> 
> I just have a hard time believing that they own the number, but I can't have the number. It's been my number for 7+ years.
> I feel like this is just a corporate policy issue whereby it CAN be done, but you'd have to speak to the right people for 5 hours to get it completed.
> ...


Rogers does NOT own the number. Bell does in Ontario since Bell owns ALL the central offices where your number (area code + NNN XXXX) goes in from your cell phone and then
switched onto the PSTN (public switched telphone network) to go out on a Bell digital trunk to its final destination. If your number is not already reassigned by Rogers/Bell to
another cell phone subscriber, it needs to be pulled out from being in the pending queue. 

I'm not going into detail here how it works, but suffice to say that the number that was on your cellphone, is a group of service numbers assigne to Rogers or Telus through
contractural obligations. Bell would OWN the Line module that is assigned (in their central office switching computer) that has the NNN (ie 518) that is detected when the call
originates and then routed electronically (packetized) to other Digital carrier modules onto trunking to other central offices and to the connection at the final destination.
At the cell tower ( the radio wave is received by a digital receiver module) and shipped off on a digital microwave trunk to the Bell Central office where it is processed before
the connection is establish from your NNN Bell office onwards. 



> Use a database such as Fone Finder to find out what company owns your phone number if your old service provider no longer has it. Contact that company to see if the number is available.


Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_5965959_do-old-phone-number-back_.html


----------



## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

Carver,

so what you're saying is that Bell might be able to get me the number I want?

Could I move to bell, get my number, and then port it to rogers?

Who is responsible for pulling the NNN out of the queue? Is it Rogers or Bell?
The NNN I want is 290. So, in this case, if Bell has contracted out 290 to Rogers, then shouldn't Rogers be the one responsible for getting it out of the queue?


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

KaeJS said:


> Carver,
> 
> so what you're saying is that Bell might be able to get me the number I want?
> 
> ...


I would expect that Bell assigns a group of NNn to Rogers and another group of NNn to Telus and so on, provided these common carriers (as they are to referred to in the 
telephone business) have an agreement for those NNN , If a particular NNn is no longer required and the subscriber (you) doesn't want it, Rogers would inform Bell that your particular number goes on some inactive pending queue for future reassignment to somebody else.

Its a software out order that is given to Bell to deactivate or reactivate that number and put it on the active queue to be switched..otherwise you would get the "no service"
announcement from the Bell translation software in the central office where the Rogers number was assigned to you.


----------



## MasterCard (Aug 2, 2013)

carverman said:


> I would expect that Bell assigns a group of NNn to Rogers and another group of NNn to Telus and so on, provided these common carriers (as they are to referred to in the
> telephone business) have an agreement for those NNN , If a particular NNn is no longer required and the subscriber (you) doesn't want it, Rogers would inform Bell that your particular number goes on some inactive pending queue for future reassignment to somebody else.
> 
> Its a software out order that is given to Bell to deactivate or reactivate that number and put it on the active queue to be switched..otherwise you would get the "no service"
> announcement from the Bell translation software in the central office where the Rogers number was assigned to you.


I think regardless, certain NNNs belong to different carriers, regardless.
So the OP must stay with Rogers to get that number back - after that it becomes a matter of luck really.
Once the number is available for re-use, for all we know another customer may get that number.
When changing numbers on Fido, you could see through their available numbers - not sure if Rogers has that same feature...(you think they would since they have the same network architecture and all).


----------



## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

And why would Bell want to go out of their way to help a Rogers customer? If OP had thought of all this before buying a phone with a different number someone might have been willing/able to accommodate OP to retain the business: now there's no percentage in them doing so. Assuming it is even technically feasible, there has to be some administrative cost, plus OP's current number would be frozen for some time, which would be a cost to Rogers for an unusable number.


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

MasterCard said:


> I think regardless, certain NNNs belong to different carriers, regardless.


Isn't that what I said..but the *carriers have to switch those numbers through Bell central office equipment.*.which Bell owns and can block if Rogers is not using these numbers.


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

OhGreatGuru said:


> And why would Bell want to go out of their way to help a Rogers customer? If OP had thought of all this before buying a phone with a different number someone might have been willing/able to accommodate OP to retain the business: now there's no percentage in them doing so. Assuming it is even technically feasible, there has to be some administrative cost, plus OP's current number would be frozen for some time, which would be a cost to Rogers for an unusable number.


Here's the way it works in a nutshell CMFers. Rogers (and others) lease the NNN from Bell. Bell in Ontario and Quebec own the equipment to digitally switch the call 
(from the OP's cell phone) over the PSTN (public switched telephone network). Calls don't just get there by magic..there is a LOT OF TELECOMMICATION INFRASTRUCTURE involved.

When I decided to buy a monthly plan from Bell a few years ago...the cell phones were dedicated to a specific carrier..LNP (local number portability)via SIM cards was not available back then like it is now.
The Bell store sales clerk asked me if I wanted a specific number..I said any number is good for me..she then asked me if NNN n666 was ok as some people object to the '666" number (in the Bible it is the number of the beast...er...beezlebub, satan, devil whatever. I told her no problemo, I'm in with the beast and he's ok with me using it. 
So far I have not been struck down with a bolt of lightning from above, I have switched to WIND and still using "beezlebubs" number.:biggrin:


----------



## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

carverman said:


> I said any number is good for me..she then asked me if NNN n666 was ok as some people object to the '666" number (in the Bible it is the number of the beast...er...beezlebub, satan, devil whatever. I told her no problemo, I'm in with the beast and he's ok with me using it.
> So far I have not been struck down with a bolt of lightning from above, I have switched to WIND and still using "beezlebubs" number.:biggrin:


That's a sweet NNN. :biggrin:


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

KaeJS said:


> That's a sweet NNN. :biggrin:


Kaejs..The frist 3 numbers are the exchange NNX the x is because some numbers cannot be used in the 3rd column due to restrictions from what I recall with the old stepbystep/crossbar mechanical central office switching. The last 4 digits xxxx could be from 0000 to 9999 within the exhange group of numbers.

666 AFAIK is not used as an area code nor for exhange groups..too many religious groups were up arms about use of it.so the Telcos in NA just dont use the combo in area codes or NNx.
Mine was 9666 ..."The devil made me do it":highly_amused:


----------

