Keeping Telephone Number

I will be soon moving house to a different exchange, but with the same area code, would I be able to keep my existing landline number?

Different exchange, �BT� number ? Nope, you won�t.

If it�s that important, migrate it to VOIP, retain it that way.

BT site says

In reference to www.productsandservices.bt.com/manage/moving-home/:

If you'll be living in the same telephone exchange area (e.g. Lincoln 01522) it might be possible for you to keep your current phone number. We'll let you know when you start your home move. If you're moving to a new area, you'll probably need a new phone number.

I believe this is within the same "exchange area" even if it is a different exchange so OP needs to speak to BT to see if they can move the number.

It sounds to me more like 0161 area code for Manchester then exchange code one of the Stockport Stepping Hill exchange ones then my local 4-digit number to me.

If I moved to Bramhall I might be fine, same exchange. If I moved to Bury I'd be very surprised if I could take my number. It would still be 0161, but that's all.

I suspect it would need BT to confirm if the 2 addresses were in the same "exchange area".

AFAIK 'Exchange area' means the exchange which provides service for the premises, that is the physical connection (e.g. exchange > E-side > PCP > D-side > DP > premises).

There used to be (>10 years ago) out-of-area connections which used private wires and AC15 signalling to physically extend connections from the "new" exchange to the "old" exchange, but these have long since gone.

These days you can rent a forwarding service for incoming calls to the original number, outgoing calls are from the new number, or as has been suggested port the old number to VoIP.

I moved two miles to an area served by a different exchange, but with the same area code, and migrated my long-time number to A&A (Sipgate Basic didn't allow number porting in at the time). The only thing to watch out for is that porting out a number will cease any broadband service associated with that number, so you need to get the timing right.

So, for instance, (just talking �BT�here)

0118 = a very large area based around Reading
0118 969 = a line from Woodley exchange (in Reading)
0118 966 = a line from Earley exchange (in Reading)

So it is the prefix and the first three digits after that show the exchange of origin.

Yes, there are lots of exceptions to this very basic rule, and even at the same exchange there are a variety of �post area code, first three digit� offerings, 944 is another common for the Woodley exchange.

But essentially, if your new address is served by a different exchange, the answer is going to be - No.

All this will change once PSTN disappears sometime around 2025

thanks for everyone's input