# Can you request a specific number for a cell phone? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 28, 2003, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-request-a-specific-number-for-a-cell-phone/164705 "2003-03-28T03:43:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hokienautic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@Hokienautic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hokienautic)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-request-a-specific-number-for-a-cell-phone/164705/1 "2003-03-28T03:43:13Z")
Assuming it’s unused, of course. I live in northern VA, which a couple years ago went the “area code overlay” route. The original area code was 703, and the overlay area code is 571. Calling either area code from here is a local call. I’m looking to buy a new cell phone, and assuming the number isn’t in use, would I be able to request my home phone number with the new area code? In other words, if my current home number is 703-123-4567, would it be possible to request 571-123-4567? Or are cell phone companies given a list of numbers that they can assign? Thanks in advance for any help. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-request-a-specific-number-for-a-cell-phone/164705/2 "2003-03-28T03:45:57Z")
I did. For both my phones. Got the numbers I wanted. I also got the number I wanted for my landline, too. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-request-a-specific-number-for-a-cell-phone/164705/3 "2003-03-28T04:32:20Z")
When’d you do that **Duckster**? I worked for a cell phone co last year and we were told that the days of picking your own cell phone number were over thanks to FCC regulations. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-request-a-specific-number-for-a-cell-phone/164705/4 "2003-03-28T04:32:28Z")
Cell phone companies usually buy blocks of numbers, like a whole exchange (10,000 numbers). When I got my phone they gave me the exchange and I got to pick the final 4 digits. So it’s possible that your cell phone provider doesn’t have the 123 exchange in the 517 area code. If another provider has that exchange, I don’t know if you can get them to swap or make the connection. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-request-a-specific-number-for-a-cell-phone/164705/5 "2003-03-28T04:36:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tuckerfan \* > \*\*When’d you do that **Duckster**? I worked for a cell phone co last year and we were told that the days of picking your own cell phone number were over thanks to FCC regulations. \*\* Two ATT cell phones last year. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-request-a-specific-number-for-a-cell-phone/164705/6 "2003-03-28T04:36:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Telemark \* > \*\*Cell phone companies usually buy blocks of numbers, like a whole exchange (10,000 numbers). When I got my phone they gave me the exchange and I got to pick the final 4 digits. > > So it’s possible that your cell phone provider doesn’t have the 123 exchange in the 517 area code. If another provider has that exchange, I don’t know if you can get them to swap or make the connection. \*\* Last I heard, the answer was “No!” The Feds were trying to change that, but the cellphone companies were all fighting it. (It’s one of the things they can use to help keep folks from deserting to another company.) ---
**Author:** ![Spacegirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Spacegirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spacegirl)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-request-a-specific-number-for-a-cell-phone/164705/7 "2003-03-28T04:54:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duckster \* > \*\*Two ATT cell phones last year. \*\* I just bought an ATT cell phone about a month ago, and was not able to pick my number. The computer picked it for me. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-request-a-specific-number-for-a-cell-phone/164705/8 "2003-03-28T05:06:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Telemark \* > \*\*When I got my phone they gave me the exchange and I got to pick the final 4 digits. \*\* Me, too. Last year. ---
**Author:** ![AzRaek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/azraek/32/16739_2.png) [@AzRaek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AzRaek)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-request-a-specific-number-for-a-cell-phone/164705/9 "2003-03-28T06:21:15Z")
My husboy and I decided to get TMobile family plan, instead of me having Tmobile and him having Cricket. They made new number be just one off from mine. So my number is 8523 and his is 8522…same are code and exchange. BTW I got Tmobile when it was Voicestream and I like Jamie Lee Curtis. I do not like Catherine Zeta Jones as my cell phone spokeschick. ---
**Author:** ![AmbushBug](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ambushbug/32/4600_2.png) [@AmbushBug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmbushBug)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-request-a-specific-number-for-a-cell-phone/164705/10 "2003-03-28T08:04:17Z")
When my wife got her TMobile phone she got the last 4 of her number same as the last 4 of our home landline. -AmbushBug ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-request-a-specific-number-for-a-cell-phone/164705/11 "2003-03-28T14:12:35Z")
I just switched to Verizon last month. Three new cell phones. We were able to pick the last four digits _providing they were available_. I believe Verizon had a block of numbers to choose from. The computer spit out three and I was asked if they were acceptable or whether I wanted specific numbers. In this case, the ones the computer suggested were fine because all the other numbers I suggested were taken (I wanted either an aabb pattern or an abba pattern). ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-request-a-specific-number-for-a-cell-phone/164705/12 "2003-03-28T15:48:53Z")
I was able to pick my last four digits when I signed up for a Voicestream phone, last year. It`s now called T-Mobile btw. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-request-a-specific-number-for-a-cell-phone/164705/13 "2003-03-28T17:59:06Z")
I was going say of course you can request a specific number, you just won’t get it 🙂 Just like you can request your new car have 4 engines (one for each wheel), and an ejection seat… But I think the real answer is “depends on the cell phone company” Brian ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-request-a-specific-number-for-a-cell-phone/164705/14 "2003-03-28T20:37:59Z")
Slightly off-topic but here’s an [article](http://www.msnbc.com/news/891025_asp.htm?0cv=CB20) about how cell phone numbers are going to become portable (meaning transferable by customers between companies) in November.