Virtual Numbers
Numbers that reach your team, wherever it sits.
Local, national and toll-free numbers, subject to availability, routed to the phone system you use. Be reachable in the places your customers are, without an office in each one.
At a glance
- Number types
- Local, national and toll-free
- Routed to
- Cloud PBX or your IP PBX
- Coverage
- Confirmed per country
- Existing numbers
- Porting where supported
Availability, eligibility and documentation vary by country.
What it is
A number that is not tied to a line.
A traditional phone number belongs to a physical line at a specific address. A virtual number is held on the network instead. When someone dials it, the call is routed to wherever you have pointed the number: your Cloud PBX, or your own PBX over a SIP trunk.
That separation is what makes virtual numbers useful. You can hold a number in a city where you have no office, keep a number when you move, or have several numbers answered by the same team.
The problem it solves
Customers are more likely to call a number that feels local or costs them nothing. Without virtual numbers, offering that means a physical presence in each place. With them, the number and the team answering it no longer need to be in the same place.
Number types
Local, national and toll-free.
Which types are available depends on the country. We confirm what you can have before you order.
- Geographic
Local
A number with a city or area code, recognised by callers as local to that place.
Typical use A presence in a city or region where you have customers but no office.
- Non-geographic
National
A number that is not tied to a particular area, in countries that offer this type.
Typical use One number for the whole country, regardless of where your team sits.
- Free to call
Toll-free
A number that callers in that country can dial without charge, where available.
Typical use Sales and support lines where you want to remove any barrier to calling.
Core capabilities
What you can do with your numbers.
Routing and number options are configured to match your phone system.
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Inbound routing
Calls to your number are delivered to the phone system you choose, then on to a menu, queue, group or person.
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Works with Cloud PBX
Route numbers straight into a Muqatel Cloud PBX and manage how they are answered online.
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Works with your PBX
Deliver numbers to a compatible IP PBX over a SIP trunk, alongside your existing lines.
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Re-pointable
Because the number is not tied to a line, its destination can be changed if your setup changes.
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Several numbers, one team
Hold numbers in different places or of different types, all answered by the same people.
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Porting where supported
Bring existing numbers across from another provider, subject to the rules of the country and providers involved.
Use cases
Where virtual numbers help.
Most uses come down to being easy to reach, wherever your customers are.
- 01
Entering a new market
Offer customers in another city or country a local or toll-free number before opening an office there.
- 02
A single support line
Give customers one national or toll-free number that reaches your support queue wherever your agents are.
- 03
Separate numbers for separate purposes
Use different numbers for sales, support or campaigns, each routed to the right team.
- 04
Keeping numbers through a move
Because numbers are not tied to a building, they can stay the same when your office or phone system changes.
How it works
From request to a working number.
Activation times depend on availability and documentation checks, so we give you an estimate rather than a guarantee.
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Step 1: Tell us where and what
The countries, cities and number types you need, and roughly how many numbers.
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Step 2: We confirm availability
We check current availability and tell you what documentation each number requires.
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Step 3: Provide documents
Where regulators require it, you provide proof of address, business registration or similar.
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Step 4: Route and test
Numbers are assigned, pointed at your phone system and tested before you publish them.
Availability and requirements
What to know before you order.
Phone numbers are regulated differently in every country. These are the points that most often affect what you can have and how quickly.
- Geographic availability
- Not every number type exists in every country, and availability within a country changes over time. Coverage is confirmed per request rather than listed in advance.
- Regulatory documentation
- Many countries require proof of a local address, business registration or identity before a number can be assigned. Requirements differ by country and number type.
- Eligibility and use restrictions
- Some numbers can only be used by local businesses or for particular purposes, and outbound caller ID rules may also apply.
- Number portability
- Moving existing numbers depends on the country, the number type and the providers involved. Porting timelines are set by them, so they are confirmed case by case.
- Routing destination
- Numbers need somewhere to go: a Muqatel Cloud PBX or a compatible PBX connected by SIP trunk. Other destinations may be possible depending on configuration.
- Activation time
- How long it takes for a number to become active varies with availability and documentation checks. We give you an estimate once we know what you need.
Works with
Where your numbers go.
A number needs a phone system to answer it. These are the two ways to provide one.
What are virtual numbers?
A virtual number is a phone number that is not tied to a physical line at a specific location. Calls to it are routed over the network to a destination you choose, such as a cloud PBX, an IP PBX connected by SIP trunk, or a particular team or queue.
Depending on availability, virtual numbers can be local (geographic), national (non-geographic) or toll-free.
Which countries can I get numbers in?
Availability varies by country, by number type and over time. Some countries offer local, national and toll-free numbers; others offer only some of these. Many regulators also require proof of address or business registration before a number can be assigned.
Tell us the countries and number types you need, and we will confirm what is currently available and what documentation each one requires. We do not list coverage on the website because it changes.
Can I keep my existing phone numbers?
Often, yes, through a process called number porting, where your current numbers are transferred from your existing provider. Whether a number can be ported depends on the country, the number type and the providers involved, and the process usually needs an authorisation form and matching account details.
Porting timelines are set by the providers and regulators involved, so we confirm them case by case rather than promising a fixed date.
Where can calls to a virtual number be routed?
Calls can be routed to a Muqatel Cloud PBX, or to a compatible IP PBX connected by SIP trunk. Within the phone system, they can then go to an IVR menu, a queue, a ring group or an individual extension. Other destinations may be possible depending on the configuration; ask us about your case.
Tell us where you need to be reachable.
Share the countries and number types you have in mind. We'll confirm what is currently available and what each number requires.