Disconnected number
A number that is no longer assigned to an active subscriber and cannot be reached.
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A number that is no longer assigned to an active subscriber and cannot be reached.
A disconnected number is one that was valid but is no longer in service. The subscriber cancelled, the account lapsed, or the number was returned to the carrier pool awaiting reassignment.
Disconnected numbers are a permanent failure, not a temporary one. Messages hard-bounce and calls reach an intercept recording. Retrying them achieves nothing and, at volume, signals to carriers that the list is poorly maintained.
They accumulate quietly. A number captured at signup can be disconnected months later with no signal to you at all, which is why validating before each campaign catches decay that a one-time import check never will.
Related terms
- Reassigned number — A number reissued to a new subscriber after the previous holder gave it up.
- Soft bounce — A temporary message delivery failure that may succeed on a later retry.
- List hygiene — Keeping a contact list accurate and current by removing or flagging unusable records.
- HLR lookup — A query against a mobile network Home Location Register to check whether a number is active and reachable.