On Sun, 19 Jul 2009 14:06:03 +0100, Roland Perry
wrote:

In message , at 19:40:39
on Sun, 19 Jul 2009, DW downunder remarked:
You guys have got what we had dumped on us - 8 digit local numbers. We
had the same change-over issues.

In a big area like London, you need 8-digit numbers because there are so
many subscribers. (With things like DDI numbers in office blocks eating
up huge chunks of the numbering space).

Other areas still have at most 7-digit numbers (plus the code).

Northern Ireland, Southampton, Portsmouth and Caerdydd numbers are
also 8 digit. IIRC the latter was intended as a precursor to all of
Wales becoming 029 xxxx xxxx (029=0CY). Northern Ireland now seems to
be effectively one giant Belfast (0BT xxxx xxxx) numbering scheme.
These renumberings do not OTOH affect the charging areas.