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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Common questions

The Novero Platform™

Call Services

Call Charges

VoIP

Price

Miscellaneous

Number Porting

Common questions

How much do numbers cost?

Our numbers are categorised according to how 'memorable' they are. Prices start at £25 for a standard number, £95 for bronze, £195 for silver, £295 for gold, £395 for platinum and £595 for diamond, which are our most memorable numbers. You can search our repository for our remaining numbers here. - Telephone Numbers

Are there any annual or monthly charges for a number?

There are no annual or monthly charges for telephone numbers. Any numbers routed to destinations that incur costs will be deducted from your account's Call Credit. Call Credit can be added to your account from the Novero Platform™ and operates as a 'Pay As You Go' service. Read more about call credit and our call charges here - Pay As You Go - Call Charge Information

How long does it take before the number is active?

Once your order is successfully completed you will receive an email from us with your username and password for the Novero Platform™. This will usually occur in 1 to 3 minutes. You can then login and configure your number and other services immediately.

How do I route my number?

Our advanced online control panel, the Novero Platform™, is accessible to all our customers and provides control and management of your numbers in an easy to use web tool. The Novero Platform™ provides Call Management Features, Online Billing and comprehensive real-time Call Statistics. Read more about the Novero Platform™ here - Novero Platform™ - Overview

How often can I change the routing on my number?

You are able to change the routing on your number as many times as you require. There is no limit on the amount of times you can change this and there are no charges for changing the routing of your number.

Is there an answering machine service?

Answering Machine and Voice to email services are provided for free with all of our numbers. Once you have configured the service using the Novero Platform™ any time your number is busy or unanswered your called will hear a recorded voice message and will be asked to leave their message after the tone. The caller's message will be recorded and the message will be sent to your email address in the form of a sound file. Please note with some number ranges call routing charges to the answering machine service will apply.

Can the caller tell that the number is routed to another number?

No, the caller just hears a normal ringing tone. There is no click or delay.

How long has TTNC been going for?

TTNC was founded in 2004 and the directors have over 20 years experience in the Telecoms and Internet industry.

If for some reason I'm not happy or find a better deal elsewhere can I port the number across to the new provider?

We can only port (transfer) BT numbers to and from our network, it is not possible to port one of our numbers away to another operator.

What happens to numbers if TTNC were to go bust?

If TTNC were to go out of business unexpectedly the most likely scenario would be that another Service Provider will take over all of our hardware and customer base, they would purchase this from TTNC's company administrator. The administrator has a duty to ensure that all the services and numbers are kept live until another provider takes them over. Another possibility is that customers can port their number away from TTNC (and the succeeding provider if agreements are in place) to BT or another service provider of their choice and continue using their telephone number with that provider.

The Novero Platform™

What is the Novero Platform™?

The Novero Platform™ is a web based control panel which allows you access to manage your numbers from anywhere in the world. When you log in to the Novero Platform™ you a connected directly to our network and switches. This means any changes you apply are implemented in real-time across the UK public telephone network. The Novero Platform™ is freely accessible to all our customers who purchase a telephone number from us. Some of the tasks you can do are:

Allocate and activate numbers.
Set up, suspend or stop Call Services.
Set up Hunt Groups.
Make unlimited changes to Call Routing settings.
View real-time Call Statistics on numbers.
Monitor services 24 Hours a day, every day of the year.
Change account details.

How long will I need to wait for my new number to be working?

If you order a Number online via our Web site then the Number will be up and running immediately. Equally, any changes made via the Novero Platform™, either to the number routing, or to the service associated with your number are activated immediately, giving you instant access and complete control over your numbers and services.

What will happen if I delete my number from the Novero Platform™?

If you select to delete a number from the Novero Platform™ you will be asked to confirm the deletion process. If you confirm the delete the number will be returned to our systems and become available for purchase by another customer.

Can I get a weekly report of how many calls been made on my number(s)?

You can view collated call statistics in the Novero Platform™ for each specific number you have purchased. The Novero Platform™ provides real-time Call Statistics (updated every 15 seconds) so you are always up-to-date.

Can I get invoiced every three months for my call charges?

Unfortunately you cannot. For all Call Charges you need to use the Top-Up system on the Novero Platform™.

Call Services

What is Single Call Routing?

Single Call Routing is when inbound calls to a telephone number are routed to a single other telephone number.

What is Temporary Call Routing?

You can temporarily route calls to another number without changing the active call routing plan. The original routing plan will be used unless the temporary calling plan is in place.

What is Time Based Call Routing?

You can redirect calls to different numbers at different times of the day. Many customers utilise this service to route calls to mobile numbers outside of business hours or different offices at different times of the day.

What is a Hunt Group Plan?

If your number is busy or unanswered the call can be diverted to up to 3 different destinations including a Voice to email service.

How many numbers can I have in a Hunt Group?

You can have up to 3 destinations in a Hunt Group as standard. If you require more we can configure your number to route to up to 10 different destinations including mobile and international phone numbers, however this will incur a set up charge of £9.95 and a yearly charge of £99.95.

What is a Voicemail Service?

Voice to email is similar to an answering machine with the added feature of all messages being forwarded to an email address that you specify and change as many times as you need via the Novero Platform™. Attachments are saved as WAV files so you can listen to them at your desk or on your laptop - anywhere you can access your email from.

For information on how to replace the default greeting with your own message please contact support@ttnc.co.uk.

What is a Fax to Email Service?

This service allows your customers, clients and employees to send an unlimited number of faxes to your non geographic number and for you to receive it in the form of an email sent to the address of your choice (multi-page TIFF format). You can change the email address we deliver the faxes to via The Novero Platform™ as many times as you need completely free of charge.

Can Fax to Email be received in different file formats?

You can receive Fax to Email in either Tagged Image File (.tiff) included in the service price or as a Portable Document Format (.pdf) for an extra £10 per year.

Can I route a Freephone number to another Freephone?

You can route a Freephone number to any destination. Routing your Freephone number to another Freephone number will incur a 3.5 Pence per minute call charge.

Can I route a Freephone number to a Mobile?

You can route any type of number to any destination although call charges may apply depending on the destination, please see our 0800 Numbers Page for our latest pricing for Freephone Call Charges. You will need to add Call Credit to your Account using the Novero Platform™.

Can I route a non geographic number to another?

You can route a non geographic number (NGN) to another, you will need to add Call Credit to your account using the Novero Platform™ for call charges and ask sales@ttnc.co.uk for the latest pricing.

Can I have several non geographical numbers routed to the same landline?

You can route as many non geographic numbers (NGN) as needed to the same landline.

What is Simple Number Translation?

Simple Number Translation allows you to map your non geographic number (NGN) to another number. All calls to your NGN are directed to a number you specify, which is known as the terminating number. The terminating number will continue to work in exactly the same manner as before, except with the added volume of calls from the NGN.

What is Time of Day Routing?

Your Non Geographic Number may be set to direct calls to different terminating numbers depending upon the time of day or day of week. This is particularly useful for businesses that require calls to be routed to one location during office hours and to another location in the evenings and weekends.

Can my non geographic number be dialled from abroad?

In order to call a non-geographic number from abroad the caller must replace the leading '0' with the country code for the UK; '+44'. For example: 0870-xxxx-xxx would become +44870-xxxx-xxx.

We would advise you to select an 0870 or 0845 number rather than 0844 or 0871 number.

Call Charges

How are Call Charges calculated?

Our Call Charges are calculated on a per second basis, rounded up to the nearest second, unlike most other operators who round up to the nearest minute.

Is there a Call Connection charge?

We do not charge for any Call Connection charges.

Is there a minimum Call Charge?

There is no minimum Call Charge. All calls are charged on a per second basis, so you only pay for what is used.

What is Call Credit?

Call Credit is the amount of money in your account to pay for Call Charges incurred from the routing of your numbers. Different numbers incur different Call Charge rates when routed to, so please check with support@ttnc.co.uk if you have any questions. TTNC operated a Pay As You Go service for Call Credit, for more information please read our Pay As You Go web page - http://www.ttnc.co.uk/numbers/pay-as-you-go.do

What is Call Charge Balance?

Your Call Charge Balance is the current amount of Call Credit allocated to your account. You can see your balance on The Novero Platform™ once you have logged in. This balance will deplete as you numbers incur routing charges (if applicable).

How do I Top Up?

When you are logged in to your account on The Novero Platform™ select "Top Up Account" from the menu on the left hand side. Select the amount you require and follow the rest of the instructions. Alternatively you can call us on 0800 468 1000 or 020 3151 1000 between 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

How do I pay for a 'Top Up'?

You can pay by using a Credit or Debit card. Alternatively you can transfer the funds to our bank account. Please ensure you let us know when making a bank transfer so we can allocate the funds to your account.

If I Top Up, when is the Call Credit added to my account?

'Top Up' for Call Credit is credited to your account immediately although it may take a few minutes to appear in your account.

What is the minimum 'Top Up' amount?

The minimum 'Top Up' amount is £25 + VAT

What is the maximum Top Up amount?

The maximum 'Top Up' amount is £1,000 + VAT. If you wish to add more than £1,000 + VAT then this can be done by calling us on 0800 468 1000 or by emailing support@ttnc.co.uk

When are the Call Charges deducted from my call charge balance?

The call charges are made once the caller hangs up, and this is deducted from your account at the same time.

What happens if my call charge balance reaches zero or a minus balance?

If your Call Charge Balance reaches zero or a negative balance then all the cost incurring numbers in your account will be suspended until you 'Top Up' and add Call Credit to your account. You will be sent an email to let you know that your number(s) have been suspended.

Do I get warned that my Call Charge Balance is getting low?

We will send out email alerts when your Call Charge Balance reaches certain amounts, which we call 'Thresholds'. These are at £15, £10 and £5 remaining balance. If the balance remains under £5 then 3 emails will be sent per day if there is any more Call Credit used.

Can I change the 'Threshold' amounts for email alerts?

To increase the 'Thresholds' please email support@ttnc.co.uk with your customer reference or a telephone number you purchased from us.

Can I Top Up automatically when I get low on Credit?

Unfortunately we cannot provide this service at this time.

Does my Call Charge Balance expire?

Your Call Charge Balance does not expire.

Can my number stop working in the middle of a call if my Call Charge Balance reaches zero?

For this instance, we will allow the call to continue until the caller hangs up. Once the call has ended, the number will then be suspended until more Call Credit is added to your account. The excess call time will create a negative balance, which will be taken off your next 'Top Up'.

VoIP

What is VoIP?

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) enables telephone signal to be sent using the Internet or other computer networks. VoIP converts the voice signal from your telephone to a digital signal, which is sent over the Internet and on the other end it is converted back to a telephone signal, allowing for high quality global telecommunication.

What is a SIP address?

SIP stands for 'Session Initiation Protocol' and is an application layer control protocol (signalling) for creating, modifying and terminating sessions with one or more participants. These sessions include Internet telephone calls, multimedia distribution and multimedia conferences.

It is widely used as the signaling protocol for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) along with H.323 and others. SIP is addressing neutral, with addresses expressed as URL(s) of various types such as a H.323 address, E.164 telephone numbers or email like addresses.

What is a H.323 address?

H.323 is an umbrella recommendation from the Telecommunications Standardisation Sector (ITU-T) that defines the protocols to provide audio-visual communication sessions on any packet network.

It is currently implemented by various Internet real-time applications such as NetMeeting and Ekiga (using the OpenH323 implementation). H.323 is a part of the H.32x series of SS7 and is commonly used in Voice over IP (VoIP) and IP-based video conferencing. Its purpose is thus similar to that of the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

What is a IAX2 address?

IAX is the inter-Asterisk exchange protocol used by Asterisk; an open source PBX server form Digium. It is used to enable VoIP connections between Asterisk servers and between servers and clients that also use the IAX protocol.

IAX now most commonly refers to IAX2; the second version of the IAX protocol. The original IAX protocol has been deprecated almost universally in favour of IAX2.

What is Inbound Numbering Service to IAX Address?

Use a Number to terminate to an Asterisk Server so PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) and mobile callers will be able to call you.

What is Inbound Numbering Service to SIP Address?

When a number terminates to a SIP phone/address so PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) and mobile callers will be able to call you.

What is Inbound Numbering Service to H.323 Address?

This is a Virtual Chat Service.

What is DTMF?

Dual-Tone Mutli-Frequency (DTMF) is used for telephone signaling to the call switching centre using the voice-frequency band. The version of DTMF used for telephone tone dialling is known by the trademarked term Touch-Tone and is standardized by ITU-T recommendation Q.23. Other multi-frequency systems are used for signalling internally to the telephone network.

Can I choose the type of DTMF signalling?

You are able to select whether calls are routed with RFC2833 DTMF signalling or in-band DTMF using the Novero Platform™. When you set up Call Routing to a SIP address just either select RFC2833 or in-band DTMF from the options.

Price

Does my Account Balance Show the VAT Amount?

Your account balance in the Novero Platform™ includes the VAT amount. We do this because all Call Charges are calculated including VAT. For example if you purchase £25 worth of Call Credit you will see a Call Credit Balance of £29.38. This amount is £25 + £4.38 VAT (17.5%) amount. Also if your Call Charge amount to £17.84, this is including VAT.

If I want to start a Premium Rate (09) service, is there a deposit fee?

The type of Premium Rate Service you want to operate will determine if it is necessary to pay a deposit fee. Some 'Live' services do require a deposit which is taken by PhonePayPlus (the UK Premium Rate Regulator), please check the PhonePayPlus website for further information - www.phonepayplus.org.uk

Do I need to make a deposit to use a Freephone number?

There is no deposit fee for a Freephone number however you will need to add Call Credit to your account using the Novero Platform™ in order to cover Call Charges depending on the services and routing on the number. Please see our 0800 Numbers Page for our latest pricing for Freephone Call Charges.

Miscellaneous

If I want to set up an Interactive Voice Response script can I use my own recordings?

You can set up your own Interactive Voice Response (IVR) script. Please contact support@ttnc.co.uk for file specifications.

Why am I not receiving fax/voicemail messages?

The most common reason for not being able to receive fax or voicemail messages is due to spam filters. Please check that your email account is configured to receive mail from our Service Email addresses; noreply@ttnc.co.uk (Fax to email) and noreply@ttnc.co.uk (Voicemail).

Number Porting

What does porting a number mean?

Number porting is the process by which telephone numbers are passed between providers. If you already have a telephone number with another provider, but you would like us to maintain and provide services for that number then you must port it to us.

What numbers can I port to TTNC?

We can receive ports of most Geographic Numbers and some Non Geographical Numbers from the following providers; BT, Telewest, Virgin Media, Magrathea and Inclarity.

How do I port a number?

In order to port a number to us, you must fill in a porting form and a letter of authorisation which can be obtained by sending an email to porting@ttnc.co.uk. Upon submission we will ask for a payment of £25 (per number). Once payment is made it will take up to 10 working days for the number to be successfully ported.

How do I port a bulk of Numbers?

The porting form must be filled in once per number, however the letter of authorisation can list multiple numbers. In total we must receive one letter of authorisation with all the numbers listed in it, and a porting form per number.

Is there any downtime on the number whilst it is ported?

No, the number stays active on the old provider until it is ported instantly to us.

What is multi line and single line?

Single includes all single line numbers terminating on a socket.

Multi line includes - PBX group, single lines terminating on equipment (e.g. ISDN) or 11 or more single lines at the same address.

Can porting be reversed?

You can cancel a port up to 24 hours before the porting date. There will be a further charge for this of £25. Otherwise you will need to run the porting process again through your initial provider which will incur an outward porting fee of £25.

We have attempted to answer some of our most commonly asked questions in this FAQ section and we hope this repository has been of use to you. If you have a question that has not been answered above or elsewhere on our website then please email support@ttnc.co.uk with your questions.

OFCOM Registered PECN Operator - Public Electronic Communications Network.
Members of OTELO - The Office of the Telecommunications Ombudsman.
PhonepayPlus Registered Premium Rate Service Provider.
Copyright 2009 - TTNC Limited - The Telephone Number Company.

Freephone: 0800 468 1000
Telephone: +44 (0)20 3151 1000
Fax: 0845 468 1001
Email: sales@ttnc.co.uk

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