Retiring Unused Numbers.

Recent news reports about the call for owners of unused toll free numbers to retire their dormant 1-800 numbers back to the main database are a clear indication that the growing concerns over the low supply of numbers have merit.

With an estimated 8,000 numbers registered each day, and more than two-thirds of the supply already taken, there is a real concern about the limited stock of available numbers and the impact on small businesses nationwide. Even with a surge of returned numbers, the concern over the limited availability is serious. The fact is, those retired numbers will be scooped up fast. It’s just a Band-Aid solution.

The limited availability of new 800, 888, 877, and 866 numbers and the limited turnover of used numbers have created an intense and competitive demand for the remaining toll free numbers.

Here is how it works…..when an 800 number is disconnected, it goes into what is referred to as the aging process. After several months, it becomes available for use on the 800 Service Management System (SMS/800) database. But the overall percentage of retired numbers is quite low because toll free service is so effective and profitable that businesses, organizations, and non-profits who secure a 1-800 number tend to hold onto it. Even those who take a break from their businesses often hang onto their numbers indefinitely. It costs so little to keep a toll free number that they decide to retain their favored phone number for future use.

There are additional numbers held in reserve by the FCC—the 855 pre-fixes. But to my knowledge there are no immediate plans to introduce them. Some reports indicate that they may not be launched until 2011.

So, while the call for retirement of dormant numbers is a good one, and it could provide some temporary relief, the concerns over the dwindling supply of available 1-800 numbers will have to be addressed sooner rather than later.