Glossary
Recycled number
Definition
A recycled number is one previously held by someone else and reissued, potentially carrying that holder's existing service registrations.
Why it matters
Recycling is normal across the whole telecoms industry — carriers reissue disconnected numbers within months. The practical consequence is "this number is already registered" errors on services the previous holder used. Never-recycled pools exist to avoid this and cost more because each number can only be sold once.
Related reading
Sources
- ITU-T E.164 national numbering plans (Operational Bulletin annex) · International Telecommunication UnionPer-country numbering plans, mobile ranges, trunk prefixes
Part of the HushSMS glossary — 18 terms defined.