Why do I need to choose a dialling code?
Traditionally, when you join a new phone company, you get a phone number with the dialling code of the town or city you live in. If you live in London, you get a London code. If you come from Leeds, it's a Leeds dialling code. With Vonage, you can, if you want, choose a dialling code that's different to the one for where you live.
Why would I want to choose a different dialling code?
Choosing a dialling code gives you the flexibility to use your phone number in the way that saves you, and those who call you, the most money. A UK area dialling code that's local to your friends or family means that they can call you, no matter where you live, for no more than the cost of local call.
Does the dialling code affect my call plan?
Whatever dialling code you opt for, you can still make unlimited‡ landline calls within the UK or to countries included in your call plan.
How do I get my new number?
Once you've joined Vonage, you receive a new UK telephone number, which will instantly be confirmed to you by email. This new phone number will act in the same way as a regular landline number.
How do I get set up?
As soon as you've signed up, we'll rush you a small adapter. When it arrives, just connect your phone to your broadband connection. Then pick up the handset and listen for the dialling tone. Now you're ready to go: you can receive calls, and make calls just like before. The quality of the calls will be so good that no one will even know you're using a VoIP phone service.
If you've got cable broadband
If you've got cable broadband connection, such as Virgin, you can keep your existing phone number when you join Vonage. You don't have to do this immediately. When you're ready, simply log on to your Vonage account, go to 'Add-ons' and ask us to transfer your old phone number. You can find out more here.
We'll sort out the transfer, which takes about 10 working days. During that time, you will effectively have two phone numbers to use – your original landline phone number and your new, temporary Vonage phone number.
Once the transfer is complete, this new Vonage number will be replaced by your own familiar number. Your old cable phone line will automatically be cancelled. It's all pretty seamless, and this process won't affect your cable broadband connection.
If you've got ADSL broadband
If you've got ADSL broadband (eg BT), then you may not be able to keep your old phone number – or the process may be more complicated. You can find out more here. But you can still save money by adding Vonage as a second phone line.
Examples
Susie: kept her home dialling code when she went to university
When Susie moved out of home in Hull to study in London she got terribly homesick. So when she signed up to Vonage, she picked a phone number with a Hull code. Her friends and family can now call Susie in London at a local Hull rate. And she can make unlimited‡ calls to anywhere in the UK for a fixed monthly fee. So the chats stay cheap and everyone is happy.
Mark: wanted a local code for his local clients
Mark's business is based in Leeds, but he travels all over the country. So he picked a Leeds code. His loyal, local clients don't hesitate to call anytime, no matter where he is in the UK.
Charlie: made his first cheap VoIP call
Charlie signed up online. He checked his email a few moments later: there was his new Vonage phone number. When his adapter arrived shortly afterwards, Charlie unplugged his phone from the old socket in the wall and connected it to his modem and picked up the handset. The dialling tone sounded exactly the same. So Charlie made his first call – to his mum. She still has no idea that anything has changed.
Edith didn't want to hang up on her old number
Edith was loath to lose her familiar old number. So she decided to try out Vonage. When her adapter arrived, she tried it out with a spare handset. For the next few days, Edith happily made cheap calls on her new Vonage line, knowing she was already saving money. Her friends carried on ringing her on the old Virgin landline. Then, satisfied with her Vonage line, Edith went online and requested a transfer. Ten days later, her Virgin line was automatically cancelled (her broadband wasn't affected). Her friends were none the wiser.
