Any suggestions for numbers to try for Halls at Nottingham? 0870012xxxx

The operator is NTL and for an outgoing call, a number of the form 0115910xxxx was the CLI, but constantly engaged. (xxxx did not match with 0870 number, but substitution didn't help.)

Found the Hall reception number and explained the problems with dialling 0870 from abroad but they were unable to put me through. The suggested the main University switchboard with extension 5xxxx but no luck.

Adjusting the end of the Hall number seemed to go through to academic staff.

I know BT often block the geographic numbers, but what about CPS carriers? And how can parents of overseas students get round the 0870 problem - surely University staff need a "put through" facility themselves?

Information on The University of Nottingham's accomodation phone system is here.

ntl have lots of numbers in Nottingham:


0115 823
0115 835
0115 840 to 0115 849 inclusive
0115 854
0115 859
0115 875 to 0115 878 inclusive

0115 905
0115 910 to 0115 919 inclusive
0115 952
0115 953
0115 955
0115 956
0115 974
0115 993

0115 000
0115 003
0115 005
0115 013

That's 35 normal numbers, and 4 national dialling ones.

As usual, if it's one of the last four, you are probably out of luck.

Newark Hall ( Jubilee Campus)  has the NTL number 0115 005 .

When I tried this as the first 7 digits instead of 0870 122 from my phone at the Office, it worked and I was able to get through to my daughter .  But when I tried it from home, it did not work !!!!!!!

Whether this is something to do with going through a switchboard at the Office ( having to dial a 9 for an outisde line) or what , I have not a clue. But, it is very annoying .  Maybe someone out there can help and advice as to a way of achieving success from other land lines.

I quite agree with all the comments about this and other universities making the student numbers 0870. We all pay enough and it is not as if the line itself is free or included in their rent.

That's identical to the situation in Leicester! (Even the number is the same: 005!)

I can dial numbers in the Leicester halls from my office, but not from home. It too is a switchboard system, with '9' for an outside line.

Some people reported that they can call these numbers from NTL phones, and from Orange mobiles (which use the NTL network). They suggested my office (which is in the university) has an NTL phone, but I don't believe it is. It predates NTL by a long time. They then suggested that the university might have some sort of link to the halls, but I don't believe that either. As far as I know, the systems are entirely separate (there's no way for students to dial university numbers for free either).

Presumably you don't work at the University of Nottingham. In that case, who provides your work phone network? If we can figure out why these exchange system allow us to dial these 005 numbers, we could be on to something!

Update: I've just tried a Nottingham number on 0115 005 (chosen at random  :o ) and got through to some poor chap who sounded like I'd got him out of bed! So it's definitely not a link between Leicester University and Leicester halls. I'll see if I can find out who provides the campus phone network.

By the way, if anyone is able to dial one of these numbers from an NTL home phone, please let me know. Then I'll give BT another hassle about it. Last time the operator just blamed NTL, so if I can say "I've just called the number from an NTL phone", they might have to do something. After all, there is that obligation on BT to allow all UK numbers to be dialled from their network.

wrote on Nov 18^th, 2004 at 10:53am:

By the way, if anyone is able to dial one of these numbers from an NTL home phone, please let me know. Then I'll give BT another hassle about it. Last time the operator just blamed NTL, so if I can say "I've just called the number from an NTL phone", they might have to do something. After all, there is that obligation on BT to allow all UK numbers to be dialled from their network.

It may be that was the case with jmg's call from work to his/her daughter (see 3 posts up).

wrote on Nov 18^th, 2004 at 11:39am:

It may be that was the case with jmg's call from work to his/her daughter (see 3 posts up).

That was from a switchboard from work... I've already tried telling the BT operator I can do that, but she wasn't interested.

I'd like someone to try it from an ordinary domestic phoneline provided by NTL.

My Mum has just tried from her NTL landline and managed to get through . So, it does seem that the problem is with a BT line.

Thanks for the suggestion that this could be the reason why I can get through from my office which is , indeed, an NTL line.

I found a page that seems to suggest that the University of Leicester use NTL for their outgoing calls too, so that's definitely the answer. If I get round to it, I'll try the BT operator again at the weekend, and then maybe a complaint to customer services.

My daughter is at Nottingham University and the telephone in her room has an 0870 number. Is there any way of getting cheaper calls-



[edit]by bbb_uk:
This is the first post of a new thread which has been joined to the existing one on Nottingham University Halls[/edit]

It would be useful if you could tell us which halls, and the number (minus the last four digits if it's a direct number to your daughter's room).

Is it an 0870 012 xxxx number? If so, we found the alternative numbers to be 0115 005 xxxx. However, this is a "national dialling only" number, and we found it can only be dialled from certain lines, not from normal BT lines. If you have a home phone provided by NTL you are probably in luck as this number can be dialled from there.

Please let us know if you have any success. Otherwise please provide more information.



~Edited by bbb_uk: Removed reference to existing thread as I've merged them.

Thank you . it worked for me from an NTL phon but not BT- - Tom

i'm new here and so I hope I'm doing this right. I saw chat elsewhere about alternative numbers for 0870s to rooms in Halls of Residence, .. in my case I'm interested in Nottingham.

Seems that 0870 012 xxxx is really 0115 005 xxxx. I called the 0115 number and was told that the number was not recognised.  Our friends tries it from their phone with their daughter and it worked.  They are with NTl and I'm with BT. Looks like this 0870 is an NTL one so there's a back door for NTL customers.

Is this fair, that one phoen operator can introduce a series of 0870 numbers and then deny back door access to callers who use phone company other than NTL?

Notty

nottingham_uni wrote on Oct 2^nd, 2006 at 10:11pm:

Seems that 0870 012 xxxx is really 0115 005 xxxx. I called the 0115 number and was told that the number was not recognised.  Our friends tries it from their phone with their daughter and it worked.  They are with NTl and I'm with BT. Looks like this 0870 is an NTL one so there's a back door for NTL customers.

Discussion about these national-dialling only numbers is here. I see no reason why BT should not connect to these numbers as it has to allow all numbers to be dialled (where other telcos don't have to).

I think that it's another instance of the regulator sitting on the fence and not enforcing the rules.

here's another question ..... if 0115 005 xxxx isn't a truly geographic number (and you're right, this is an issue for OFCOM that an 01xx xxx xxxx number isn't geographic), then I wonder what NTL charge even THEIR subscribers to call it?   Any ideas?

Notty

0115 005 is a geographical number. It's simply a "national dialling only" geographical number. Such numbers are designed never to be called by end users, due to the confsion they cause. (Try dialling it from Nottingham without the Nottingham code, and you are likely to get through to somewhere in South America!) Therefore, it's most likely to be treated as a geographical call by NTL, whatever that costs at the moment.

BT's system is clearly programmed to think a "0" after the area code indicates an incorrect number, so the bleeps cut in before you've even finished dialling. But as it is a number, I think BT are obliged to let people dial it.

Back when I first encountered these numbers, some people reported being able to call them from Orange mobiles. Might be worth a try if you have an Orange phone with some inclusive minutes going spare.

Hey I have a friend whos on the Broadgate Park campus at Nottingham Uni, and has the number 0870 012 xxxx. I'm trying to find from either a BT line or a vodafone mobile - which probably amounts to the same thing - is there a solution?

many thanks

since my last posting i've found out more

1.  The equiv "geographic" number  is 0115 005 xxxx
2.  but because the first digit after the area code 0115 is a "0" it's not "really" a geographic number
3.  BT phone exchanges are programmed to reject all numbers beginning with a "0" after the area code as "invalid"; same is true for all CPS operators, i.e. where someone else provides yoru phone service throuhg your BT line; same is true of 02, Voda, T-Mobile, three (and all other small mobile operators who use one of the above)
4.  so, you just can't dial 0115 0xx xxxx
5.  unless your phone line is with NTL
6.  or Orange (close linsk with NTL)

I raised this with Ofcom - not interested. They referred me to Otelo, also not interested.  Both regulators seem to be allowing NTL to get away with using "illegal" geographic numbers to make money out of 0870 calls.

Otelo and Ofcom both claimto be answerable to Parliament - I await a call back from my MP's office, but I expect iy'll be too trivial or too complicated for her!!!

so, my recommendation.... if you want to call an NTL 0115 0xx xxxx, then get yourself an NTL phone line!

shame i dont have cable in my entire area. surely ofcom should pick up on this, its their duty?

My own view was initially that if the (0115) number exists and my BT phone won't call it, but an NTL line WILL, then I'm being deprived of a phone service and if BT won't fix it I'll go to Ofcom.

Having spoken to NTL, BT, O2, Ofcom and Otelo, I'm getting the feeling that the 0115 0xx xxxx number, despite looking like a geographic number but isn't (because of the zero) IS permitted under Ofcom rules; Further it should NOT actually be diallable from ANY phone line, and so the fact that you can call it from an NTL line is a bonus.

Although (as someone else previously commented) if you try to dial 0115 005 xxxx from within Nottingham and decide (quite reasonably) to drop the 0115, and just dial 005 xxxx, in my daughter's case you start to dial a Belize number (international code 00 501) - given that I only dial three more digits after, there are probably insufficient digits to actually make a call, but even so, it sounds like a bodge to me!

However, it seems that there's not much we can do, so long as Ofcom continues to allow numbers which look geographic, but aren't really.

Suggest, if you're interested, you take it up with Ofcom and Otelo - you might have more success than me.

There's new info on Ofcom's website about this

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/telecoms/ioi/numbers/numbers_administered/#geog1

It's in Excel format and takes ages to download, so be patient.

There's a glimmer of hope .... the number range which I'm interested in are designated "free for national dialling". They described the number format as:

(0)+10, which I think means:

(0)11500x0000

as opposed to conventional geographic numbers which are described as:

3+7, which I think means

(0)115_xxxxxx

i.e. in our case it is NOT seven digit Nottingham number preceded by (0)115, but it's a ten digit number which happens to start (0)115 and which happens to relate to Nottingham exchange.

Let me know how you get on


Notty