Who owns the number assigned to your account?

 

Ownership of a 13/1300/1800 and virtual local numbers

13/1300/1800 and virtual local numbers are not owned by customers or by their telco (Carrier Service Provider (CSP)).

All telephone numbers in Australia, including 13, 1300, 1800 numbers and virtual local numbers, are a national resource.

They remain the property of the Commonwealth of Australia, managed on its behalf by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

ACMA has delegated responsibility for managing numbers through The Numbering System at: thenumberingsystem.com.au

What Customers Get Instead

When you acquire a 13 number, 1300 number, 1800 number or virtual local number through Teleca, you are given a Right of Use (ROU) – not ownership.

The ROU:

1. Allows you to use the number as long as you comply with the numbering regulations and our agreement conditions.

2. Can be lost if the number is not used properly, is misused, or if you stop paying for the service.

3. Can usually be ported (moved between providers) as long as you keep your ROU current.

4. Is not lost simply because you change providers but the service must be active prior to transferring.

5. Is lost if the number is cancelled.

In accordance with the Code, a ROU Holder has the right to:

(i) use the Number while a Listed Carriage Service is provided on that Number;

(ii) originate communication via a Listed Carriage Service on the Network provided by that CSP;

(iii) have a communication of a type associated with that Listed Carriage Service terminate on that Number; and

(iv) Port the Number, where that Number is Portable, while the Listed Carriage Service is an Active Service.

Where agreement has been reached with the Customer for the provision of a Listed Carriage Service at an agreed future date, in association with a specific Number, ROU of that Number arise from the commencement date of the agreement.

While a Customer has a right to Port a Number, CSP’s are under no obligation to Port in a Number the Customer has ROU to.

The ROU of a Number is extinguished when the Listed Carriage Service is Disconnected, or the Number is Recalled.

Special Case – SmartNumbers®

Unlike a standard allocation of 13, 1300, 1800 numbers, which only provides a basic Right of Use (ROU) tied to your service provider, SmartNumbers® provide an enhanced Right of Use (EROU) with extra rights and flexibility.

SmartNumbers® (e.g. 1300 FLOWERS, 13 PIZZA) are allocated by ACMA’s through The Numbering System at: thenumberingsystem.com.au

Even here:

1. The buyer does not “own” the number.

2. They acquire an enhanced ROU that may be transferred or traded, but the number itself still belongs to the Commonwealth.

Features of the SmartNumbers® Enhanced Rights Of Use (EROU)

Transferability

A SmartNumber® holder can transfer their EROU to another party, either by:

1. Selling it outright (commercial transaction), or;

2. Gifting it.

This is unique – ordinary 13/1300/1800 numbers cannot be purchased from ACMA, traded or sold.

Portability

The SmartNumber® can be ported between different CSPs (service providers) just like standard 13/1300/1800 numbers.

The EROU is portable even if you change providers – so long as the number remains active prior to porting.

The EROU remains with the ROU holder even if the provider cancels the number.

Retention

The EROU is not lost simply because you change provider or the provider cancels the number off their network.

You must, however, continue to pay the ACMA Annual Numbering Charges (ANC) to your provider to maintain the EROU. If charges are not paid, the EROU can be revoked.

ACMA Costs and fees: to view the costs and fees, please visit: thenumberingsystem.com.au/#!/smartnumbers-costs-and-fees

Commercial Value

Because the EROU is transferable, SmartNumbers® can have a market value.

Businesses often pay premiums for numbers that are memorable or align with their branding (e.g., 1300 LAWYERS).

This value comes from the enhanced EROU – not ownership.

Still not ownership

Even with the enhanced rights, the number itself remains property of the Commonwealth of Australia.

What you hold is a licence-like right (the ROU), with broader flexibility than a standard allocation.