Phone numbers starting with 07: what they are, who issues them and what calls cost

Every UK mobile number starts with 07, but not every 07 number is a mobile. This guide explains the ranges, what a call costs, how networks hand numbers out and how to pick your own.

What an 07 number is

In the UK, Ofcom (the telecoms regulator) sets aside the numbers that begin 07 for mobile phones, pagers and a small group of “personal” forwarding numbers. A full 07 number has eleven digits, for example 07700 900123. From abroad it is written +44 7700 900123, dropping the first 0. Our UK mobile number format guide covers the spacing and the +44 form in more detail.

Ofcom gives each network blocks of 07 numbers. The network then issues them to customers on SIM cards. Once a number is in use it can be moved between networks with a PAC code, so the number stays with the person, not the network.

Which 07 numbers are mobiles

The mobile ranges are 071, 072, 073, 074, 075, 077, 078 and 079. Almost every number you see on a van, a shop front or a business card sits in one of these. Two ranges are different:

• 070 numbers are “personal numbers”. They forward calls to another phone and can cost a lot more to ring. They are not mobiles, and many people avoid calling them.
• 076 is mostly pagers, with one exception: 07624 is the mobile range for the Isle of Man.

Every number in our shop is a real mobile number in the 071–075 or 077–079 ranges, on a UK pay-as-you-go SIM.

What it costs to call an 07 number

Calls and texts to 07 mobile numbers are included in the inclusive minutes and texts of almost every UK contract, SIM-only and pay-as-you-go plan. Outside an allowance, networks charge their standard mobile rate. The exception is 070 personal numbers, which sit outside allowances and are charged at a higher per-minute rate that varies by provider. If a number you are about to call starts 070, check the price first.

Does the 07 prefix tell you the network?

Only where the number was first issued. Ofcom allocates ranges to networks, so a number starting 07717 may have begun life on one network and 07478 on another. Because anyone can port their number, millions of 07 numbers are now on a different network from the one that first issued them. There is no reliable way to tell the network from the digits alone, and no need to: the number works the same whoever runs it.

Why some 07 numbers are worth more

Networks hand out numbers at random, so most are a jumble of digits that nobody remembers. A small share have a pattern: repeated digits (0777 7 777 777), pairs (44 99 44), a run (1234) or a clean ending (…000). These are the numbers the UK trade calls gold, platinum or VIP. Nothing about the line is different; the value is that people remember it after one look, which matters if your number is on an advert or a vehicle. Our guide to what a phone number is worth explains how the price is set.

How to get an 07 number you choose

You cannot pick a number from a network directly; they issue whatever is next. The way to choose is to buy the exact number on a SIM and then move it to your own network:

1. Search the digits you want in our shop, for example your lucky number or a pattern such as 777, 888 or a mirror number.
2. The SIM is posted to you with the number active on a UK pay-as-you-go network.
3. Keep using it as it is, or text PAC to 65075 from the new SIM and give the code to your current network. The number moves to your existing plan, usually by the next working day. The steps are in our PAC code guide.

If you want a number that starts a particular way, such as 07777 or 07888, type the prefix into the search. If it is not in stock, send a custom request and we will look in new stock for you.

Quick answers

Are all 07 numbers mobiles? No. 070 numbers forward calls and 076 is mainly pagers; the rest are mobiles.

How many digits? Eleven, including the leading 0.

Is an 07 number free to call? Usually it comes out of your inclusive minutes. 070 numbers do not.

Can I keep my 07 number if I change network? Yes, with a PAC code, by law within one working day.