What happens to deactivated numbers?

[maniqwils]

My old number got deactivated after the 9 months of inactivity. When I chatted on their chat the number can be re-activated but needs the original passwords to clear security router login  which I don’t remember as it was years ago.

How long until that number gets out of the account an d put back in curculation? And then maybe I can buy a new sim with that number on it as a request. 192.168.0.1

[AnnS]

When the number has been disconnected that long @maniqwils it will be impossible to locate the number, There are not an infinite number of mobile telephone numbers and networks have to recycle and reissue numbers 

The number could be anywhere in the system including having been ported out to an alternative network. 

[BandOfBrothers]

Hi @maniqwils 

Have you tried ringing the number to see if it's deactivated or been re issued ?

Sometimes the number can also be passed to another network if it originally originated from there.

Being able to gain control of the number the route your thinking would be slim at best if I'm honest.

If the number has been quarantined then there's no timeframe as far as I'm aware as to when the network would eventually release it back onto the number pool.

All that said I appreciate you'd like the number back so I wish you all the best with this. 

[WelshPaul]

Telephone numbers are quarantined for up to six months (upon disconnection) before being released back in to the pool of available numbers. If a number was ported out at any time, it is returned back to the network it was originally assigned to.