New rules for customer service numbers 2026: what companies must do

Key data

If your company has a customer service line, this resolution directly affects you. The State Secretariat for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure has published the Resolution of 14 April 2026 (BOE-A-2026-8408), which allocates specific public numbering resources for customer service and sets the general conditions that must be met by both user companies and operators managing those numbers.

This is not a minor technical standard. Any company operating with customer service numbers outside the now-regulated ranges will need to adapt, and contracts with telecommunications operators must also be reviewed to incorporate the new conditions.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution regulates three fundamental aspects:

• Allocation of numbering ranges: The Government assigns which ranges of public numbering can be used specifically for customer service. Only numbers included in those ranges are valid for this use.
• Technical and administrative requirements: Specific conditions are established that must be met by both telecommunications operators and companies using those numbers, both technically and administratively.
• Obligations of operators and user companies: Operators must adapt their services and contracts. User companies must adjust their current numbers to the new regulation if they do not conform to the allocated ranges.

Non-compliance with these conditions may result in administrative penalties under the general telecommunications regulation framework. The regulation does not specify concrete penalty amounts in the published text.

Economic and operational impact

The most immediate impact is operational: companies must verify whether their customer service numbers are within the now-allocated ranges. If they are not, they must proceed with a number change, which involves:

• Coordination with the telecommunications operator for number portability or reassignment.
• Updating all channels where the current number appears: website, contracts, invoices, advertising, packaging, etc.
• Possible impact on customer experience if the number changes and the transition is not properly managed.
• Review and modification of contracts with the operator to incorporate the new general conditions of use required by the resolution.

For telecommunications operators, the burden is greater: they must adapt their systems, commercial offerings and contracts with business customers to comply with the new technical and administrative conditions established by the State Secretariat.

Who does it affect?

• Companies with customer telephone service lines: Any company, regardless of size or sector, that has a telephone number intended for customer service.
• Telecommunications operators: Must adapt their services, systems and contracts to comply with the new general conditions of use for the allocated numbering ranges.
• Operations and technology managers: Teams managing the company's telephone infrastructure must verify the adequacy of current numbers.
• Legal and compliance departments: Must review contracts with operators and ensure the company complies with new administrative obligations.
• Chief Financial Officers and Operations Directors: Must assess the cost and operational impact of a potential numbering migration.

Practical example

An e-commerce company based in Madrid has a customer service number it has been using for five years. Following the publication of this resolution, the operations manager must verify with their telecommunications operator whether that number belongs to the numbering ranges now allocated by the State Secretariat for customer service.

If the number is not within the regulated ranges, the company must request the operator to assign a new number in accordance with the regulation. This involves updating the number on its website, in order confirmations, in customer contracts and in any advertising material where it appears. Additionally, the contract with the operator must be reviewed to incorporate the new general conditions of use required by the resolution.

If the company does not act and maintains a number outside the permitted ranges, it exposes itself to administrative penalties under the sanctions regime of telecommunications legislation.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify all customer service numbers in use: Make an inventory of all telephone numbers your company uses to serve customers, including support lines, complaints and after-sales.
2. Check with your operator if those numbers are in the regulated ranges: Contact your telecommunications provider and request written confirmation that the assigned numbers comply with the ranges allocated by the Resolution of 14 April 2026.
3. Review contracts with the operator: Verify that current contracts include or will include the new general conditions of use required by the regulation. If not, request contract updates.
4. Plan migration if necessary: If any number does not comply, plan the change in advance to minimize impact on customers and operations. Update all materials where the current number appears.
5. Document compliance: Keep evidence of actions taken with the operator and of number adequacy. This documentation is key in case of inspection or administrative request.
6. Monitor the entry into force date: The resolution does not specify the exact entry into force date. Consult the full text in the BOE and set an alert to act within the timeframe that is set.