So as of yesterday 05/06/2017 the 0500 number range no longer exists....

Someone at the BBC needs to update its Radio 5Live Webpage which as of today still shows: Quote:
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/5live/help#contact

The new number is of course: 08085 909693

I get the impression that a few companies have really botched the transition on this.

Some organisations have only published their new numbers in the last couple of weeks, leaving no time for a smooth running down of the old 0500 numbers.

Even NS&I, who have publicised their new 0808 numbers for some time, never got round to putting a warning on their 0500 numbers that it was about to change.

In retrospect, it would probably have been more sensible to stick with the approach used for area code changes in the days of yore: automatic migration of all numbers, with defined parallel running periods and then a final period of "changed number" warnings at network level on the old 0500 range for a year or so. Leaving individual telecoms firms and their customers to make arrangements on a case-by-case basis seems to have been very hit and miss.

I notice a lengthy statement reiterating the 0500 number withdrawal arrangements has appeared at the top of Ofcom's phone numbering page: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/information-for-industry/n... - covering their backs?

Ofcom avoided imposing a mandatory migration path because in reality the called party had the choice to move to an 03 number, an 080 number, or some other number range, or simply utilise some other number they already had in operation.

A 'default' migration to the matching 0808 5 number was available, but taking this up involved a change to the running costs incurred by the called party (because calls to 080 numbers are free-to-caller from landlines and from mobiles). This is another reason why Ofcom could not enforce any particular change.

A number of organisations took no action and simply lost their number on 5 June 2017. Some appeared to get a new number in haste. Others appear to still have taken no action. Ofcom has advised that any former user of an 0500 number still has a month to claim the matching 0808 5 number.

There was a three year transition period. In hindsight, this was far too long. It is apparent that a number of organisations decided they could put it off for a couple of years - and then completely forgot about it. This was a fairly minor migration likely involving only a few thousand numbers.