What is a universal personal telecommunication (UPT) number concept?
Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 3:04 am
The Universal Personal Telecommunication (UPT) number concept was an ambitious initiative by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), specifically under ITU-T Recommendation E.168 (though now withdrawn), to create a truly "personal" telephone number that would follow a user wherever they went, regardless of their physical location, the device they were using, or their network provider. It was envisioned as a "number for life," independent of geography or network.
Core Concept:
The central idea behind UPT was to provide personal mobility rather than just terminal mobility.
Terminal mobility (like with a traditional mobile phone number) means the device moves, and the number is associated with that specific device (via its SIM/IMSI).
Personal mobility aimed to identify the person, not the device or location. A UPT number would be associated with a user's "service profile," which contained their communication preferences, call routing rules, and subscribed services.
How it was Envisioned to Work:
A Unique Global Number: The ITU set aside a specific segment of the international telephone number space for UPT, initially allocating country code +878. This was followed by a 10-digit subscriber number, providing a vast pool of unique numbers (10 billion possibilities). The idea was that this number would be assigned to an individual, not a specific phone or line.
Service Profile: Each UPT number would be linked to a "UPT service profile" in a database. This profile would store the user's communication preferences, such as:
Where they wanted calls to be routed (e.g., to their office switzerland phone number list phone during work hours, to their mobile phone otherwise, or to voicemail if busy).
What supplementary services they had (e.g., call waiting, call forwarding).
Their preferred communication methods (voice, fax, data, email, SMS).
Access and Routing:
A UPT user would typically enter an access code on any telecommunication terminal (fixed line, mobile phone, even a public payphone) to "activate" their UPT service at that location.
When someone called the UPT number, the network would consult the user's UPT service profile to determine the appropriate routing based on the user's current registered location and preferences.
The goal was that a user could make or receive calls on any device, simply by authenticating themselves with their UPT number and a Personal Identification Number (PIN) or other credentials.
Independence from Geography and Network: The UPT number was intended to be entirely independent of national boundaries or the specific network provider. This was seen as a form of "global number portability," allowing a user to retain the same contact number throughout their life, regardless of how many times they moved or changed service providers.
Benefits for Consumers (as envisioned):
Single "Number for Life": No more changing numbers when moving countries or operators.
Location Independence: Reachable anywhere, on any device, based on their preferences.
Personalized Routing: Calls automatically directed based on time of day, location, or caller identity.
Streamlined Communication: Simplification of contact information for individuals.
Challenges and Current Status:
Despite its ambitious vision and potential benefits, the UPT concept never achieved widespread commercial adoption in the way it was originally conceived. Several factors contributed to this:
Complexity of Implementation: Establishing the necessary global infrastructure and interoperability agreements among countless telecom operators proved incredibly complex.
Emergence of Alternatives: The rise of mobile phone numbers with roaming capabilities and, more significantly, IP-based communication applications (like Skype, WhatsApp, Viber, Zoom) offered similar "personal mobility" functionalities, often at lower costs and with easier setup. These apps primarily rely on internet connectivity and user accounts tied to email addresses or mobile numbers for initial setup, rather than a dedicated global numbering scheme.
Regulatory Hurdles: Differing national regulations and the reluctance of existing telecom operators to cede control over their numbering assets also posed significant barriers.
Withdrawal of ITU Recommendations: In 2022, the ITU formally withdrew its E.168 and E.168.1 recommendations related to UPT, signaling its recognition that the concept, in its original form, has not materialized.
While the specific UPT numbering scheme (+878) didn't become mainstream for general voice communication, the concept of personal mobility and device-independent identity continues to evolve through other technologies like VoIP, Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs), and advanced mobile features. The UPT initiative was ahead of its time in recognizing the need for a more flexible and user-centric approach to personal communication identity.
Core Concept:
The central idea behind UPT was to provide personal mobility rather than just terminal mobility.
Terminal mobility (like with a traditional mobile phone number) means the device moves, and the number is associated with that specific device (via its SIM/IMSI).
Personal mobility aimed to identify the person, not the device or location. A UPT number would be associated with a user's "service profile," which contained their communication preferences, call routing rules, and subscribed services.
How it was Envisioned to Work:
A Unique Global Number: The ITU set aside a specific segment of the international telephone number space for UPT, initially allocating country code +878. This was followed by a 10-digit subscriber number, providing a vast pool of unique numbers (10 billion possibilities). The idea was that this number would be assigned to an individual, not a specific phone or line.
Service Profile: Each UPT number would be linked to a "UPT service profile" in a database. This profile would store the user's communication preferences, such as:
Where they wanted calls to be routed (e.g., to their office switzerland phone number list phone during work hours, to their mobile phone otherwise, or to voicemail if busy).
What supplementary services they had (e.g., call waiting, call forwarding).
Their preferred communication methods (voice, fax, data, email, SMS).
Access and Routing:
A UPT user would typically enter an access code on any telecommunication terminal (fixed line, mobile phone, even a public payphone) to "activate" their UPT service at that location.
When someone called the UPT number, the network would consult the user's UPT service profile to determine the appropriate routing based on the user's current registered location and preferences.
The goal was that a user could make or receive calls on any device, simply by authenticating themselves with their UPT number and a Personal Identification Number (PIN) or other credentials.
Independence from Geography and Network: The UPT number was intended to be entirely independent of national boundaries or the specific network provider. This was seen as a form of "global number portability," allowing a user to retain the same contact number throughout their life, regardless of how many times they moved or changed service providers.
Benefits for Consumers (as envisioned):
Single "Number for Life": No more changing numbers when moving countries or operators.
Location Independence: Reachable anywhere, on any device, based on their preferences.
Personalized Routing: Calls automatically directed based on time of day, location, or caller identity.
Streamlined Communication: Simplification of contact information for individuals.
Challenges and Current Status:
Despite its ambitious vision and potential benefits, the UPT concept never achieved widespread commercial adoption in the way it was originally conceived. Several factors contributed to this:
Complexity of Implementation: Establishing the necessary global infrastructure and interoperability agreements among countless telecom operators proved incredibly complex.
Emergence of Alternatives: The rise of mobile phone numbers with roaming capabilities and, more significantly, IP-based communication applications (like Skype, WhatsApp, Viber, Zoom) offered similar "personal mobility" functionalities, often at lower costs and with easier setup. These apps primarily rely on internet connectivity and user accounts tied to email addresses or mobile numbers for initial setup, rather than a dedicated global numbering scheme.
Regulatory Hurdles: Differing national regulations and the reluctance of existing telecom operators to cede control over their numbering assets also posed significant barriers.
Withdrawal of ITU Recommendations: In 2022, the ITU formally withdrew its E.168 and E.168.1 recommendations related to UPT, signaling its recognition that the concept, in its original form, has not materialized.
While the specific UPT numbering scheme (+878) didn't become mainstream for general voice communication, the concept of personal mobility and device-independent identity continues to evolve through other technologies like VoIP, Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs), and advanced mobile features. The UPT initiative was ahead of its time in recognizing the need for a more flexible and user-centric approach to personal communication identity.