---
sourceDocument: Australia Telecommunications Network Inventory
sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/telecom-network-inventory

 Release :

    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia Telecommunications Network Inventory

ft:clusterId :

    - telninv

bundleId :

    - telninv

workflow :

    - Customer and Industry


---

# Telephone allocation

# Telephone allocation {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Australia  
Updated March 12, 2026  
![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 1 minute to read  
Learn about telephone blocks, telephone numbers, and allocating telephone numbers. You can also learn what the benefits and relationships are between them and how you can manage them more effectively.

## Telephone number infrastructure {#telephone_number_management__section_a1h_ykz_lxb}

* Telephone block: A telephone block is a pool of telephone numbers that are allocated to a telco operator by an administrator.
* Telephone number: A telephone number is a unique numerical identifier that is assigned to a telephone line or device for making and receiving telephone calls. You can add, review, and update the list of telephone numbers.
* Telephone number allocation: A telephone number allocation consists of all the telephone numbers that are either allocated or available to allocate to the customer.

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Note:  
* To perform any activity on telephone numbers, ensure that you're assigned to the inventory number manager (sn_inv_num_mgmt.inventory_number_manager) role.
* To create any telephone block, number, or number allocation, ensure that you create the components of the telephone number. To learn more, see [Components of a telephone number](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/xKOXio1Qgkn0MXDIrTwkdA "A telephone number is a unique numerical identifier assigned to a telephone line or device for making and receiving telephone calls. Components of a number are central office code, country code, area code, and rate center.").
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## Use case of a telephone system {#telephone_number_management__section_kvd_clz_lxb}

Let's say that a network operator has a large series of numbers that include ported in, third party, owned numbers, and other types of numbers. To manage these numbers, an inventory number manager can create a telephone
block. To learn more, see [Create a telephone block](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/Pb5a6kMBDxWen~sWXNXwEw "Create a telephone block to organize and categorize all sequential telephone numbers that are within an area by using the Telecommunications Network Inventory application.").

Now, a customer that has Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or Unified Communication as a Service (UCaas)-based services submits a request to the operator for a series of numbers. The requested series of numbers belong to
three different areas, countries, or a series of numbers.  
To fulfill the earlier scenario, an inventory agent can create a telephone number allocation or create a telephone number for an area or region in a particular block. To learn more, see [Create a telephone number allocation](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/vDXsMCEnO7Ao~H5FeZDEhQ "Create a telephone number allocation so that you can group a set of telephone numbers and apply the required conditions to it by using the Telecommunications Network Inventory application. You can also review, create, update, or delete a telephone number allocation.") and [Create a telephone number to an area or region](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/jU5vbWrVrHIjo0SKicGKTg "Create a telephone number to add that number to an area or to a region by using the Telecommunications Network Inventory application. You can review, create, update, or delete a telephone number."). This process helps an operator to identify the following issues:

* Availability of a number by using telephone number allocation
* Ported-in and ported-out numbers
* Numbers assigned to a country or to an area
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