Free tool
Which network is this phone number on?
Enter any UK phone number, especially an 07 mobile, and we will show you the network the number range was originally allocated to, straight from Ofcom's official numbering data.
Honest limitation up front: UK numbers can be ported between networks, and no public data shows the current network of a ported number. We show the original allocation and say so clearly, because that is what the data actually supports. We run mobile services ourselves, so we know exactly where the public data stops.
Why "originally allocated" is not always "current network"
Ofcom allocates UK phone numbers to communications providers in blocks: a mobile network is handed a range such as 07700 9xxxxx and issues numbers from it. Ofcom publishes exactly which provider holds each range, and that is the dataset this tool searches. For a number that has never left its first network, the answer you get here is the network it is on today.
But UK consumers have had the right to keep their number when switching networks since 1999, and the text-to-switch process (text PAC to 65075) has made porting a few million numbers a year routine. A ported number keeps its original prefix forever, while calls to it are silently rerouted to the new network. The public allocation data never changes to reflect this, so a number that looks like a Vodafone number may have been on EE for a decade.
The routing information that resolves ported numbers exists, and as a network operator we use it every day to deliver calls and messages. It is simply not public. That is why every result on this page says "originally allocated to", and why any lookup tool that presents this data as the number's current network is telling you more than the data knows.
Why check which network a number is on?
- Checking a caller or contact. An unexpected call or text claiming to be from your bank or a delivery firm? Seeing that the number sits in an odd range (070 personal numbering, an obscure wholesale provider, or Ofcom's drama range) is a useful sanity check.
- Same-network calls and deals. Some tariffs, international bundles and legacy plans still treat same-network calls differently, and free same-network calling was once a big deal in the UK. Knowing the likely network helps, with the porting caveat in mind.
- Curiosity about 07 prefixes. UK mobile prefixes carry history: 077 and 078 ranges from the original Vodafone and Cellnet era, Orange and T-Mobile ranges that now belong to EE, and newer 073/074/075 allocations to virtual operators.
- Business housekeeping. Cleaning a contact list, checking which numbers are mobiles versus landlines, or working out which provider originally issued a company's numbers.
UK mobile prefixes at a glance
071 to 075, 077 to 079
Standard mobile
Ordinary UK mobile numbers. Ofcom allocates these ranges in blocks to mobile networks and virtual operators. This is where almost every personal and business mobile number lives.
070
Personal numbering
Not a normal mobile number, despite looking like one. 070 numbers redirect to other numbers and can cost significantly more to call. Treat unexpected 070 numbers with caution.
076
Radiopaging
Allocated to paging services (with 07624 used for Isle of Man mobiles). Rarely encountered as a normal mobile number.
07700 900xxx
Ofcom drama range
Reserved by Ofcom for use in TV, film and training materials, like 555 numbers in US shows. Never a real subscriber number.
Want the full breakdown of a number, including type, area, formatting and call cost guidance? Use our UK Phone Number Checker, the sibling tool built on the same Ofcom dataset.
How the lookup works
- We normalise the number you enter (0..., +44... and 0044... formats all work).
- We match it against the number ranges in Ofcom's official UK Numbering Data, longest prefix first.
- We show the communications provider the matching range was originally allocated to, translating legal names (Telefonica UK Limited) into the brands you know (O2).
- For every result we flag the porting caveat, because the data cannot see ports and we will not pretend it can.
- Lookups run in your browser against a published dataset. We do not store or log the numbers you check.
Frequently asked questions
About the UK Network Lookup
Which network is this phone number on?
Enter the number in the tool above. It matches the number against Ofcom's official numbering data and shows the network the number range was originally allocated to, for example O2, Vodafone, EE or Three. One honest caveat: if the owner has ported the number to another network, the current network can be different, and no public dataset shows the current network of a ported number.
Can I find the current network of a ported number?
Not from public data. When a UK number is ported, the routing change is recorded in systems that networks use to deliver calls and texts, but there is no public, real-time porting database for consumers. Networks themselves can see where a number routes (we operate mobile services and use that routing data to deliver calls), but that information is not published. Any free tool claiming to show the definitive current network of a ported number is overstating what public data can do.
What do the different 07 prefixes mean?
Most 07 numbers (071 to 075 and 077 to 079) are standard mobiles. 070 is personal numbering, which can be much more expensive to call, and 076 is mostly radiopaging (except 07624, used for Isle of Man mobiles). The first five or six digits identify the number range, which is what Ofcom allocates to a specific operator.
Is this data live? How often is it updated?
The lookup uses Ofcom's Numbering Data, which Ofcom updates most Wednesdays. We refresh our copy against the latest Ofcom release periodically, and the generation date is embedded in the data file. Allocations change slowly, so the original-allocation answer is stable. What the data never shows, however fresh it is, is porting.
Why does the tool show a company name I do not recognise?
Ofcom records allocations under legal company names, so O2 appears as Telefonica UK Limited and Three as Hutchison 3G UK Ltd. We translate the big consumer brands for you. You may also see wholesale or niche operators you have never heard of, because many smaller brands buy numbering from wholesale providers.
Why do some numbers show EE for an Orange or T-Mobile range?
Orange and T-Mobile merged to form EE in 2010, so ranges originally allocated to either brand now belong to EE. The tool notes this when it applies. It is a good illustration of why "originally allocated to" and "currently operated by" can differ even before any porting happens.
Does this tell me who owns the number or who called me?
No. There is no public dataset linking UK phone numbers to named individuals or businesses. This tool identifies the network side only. For number type, area and formatting detail, see our UK Phone Number Checker.
Does it work for landlines and other UK numbers?
Yes. Landlines (01/02), 03 numbers, freephone (0800/0808) and premium (09) numbers are all allocated to providers in the same Ofcom dataset, so the tool shows the allocated provider for those too, with the same porting caveat. It is free, needs no sign-up, and we do not store or track your lookups.
Data source and related tools
Number range allocations from Ofcom's Numbering Data, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Provided free by ONSIM, a UK telephony provider running mobile and landline services since 2013. No sign-up, and no record kept of the numbers you look up.
- UK Phone Number Checker, the sibling tool for number type, area and formatting
- PSTN Switch-Off Checker for the 2027 landline switch-off
- All free ONSIM tools