Is it possible to get a specific phone number with Telus?

You need to request a Vanity number. I know that Telus can do it for Business accounts but not sure about personal especially a post paid...

bharper19 wrote: ↑2) If I have a specific number that is a Telus number and is no longer in service, is it possible to get this specific number? If so, how do I make that happen?

I tried the online chat with them and I did not get that far. They told me it was no longer in service, but they had no idea how to get it.

(Note: I am assuming that you are talking Telus Mobility, not Telus ILEC in Alberta/BC.)

Generally speaking, unless Telus does things really differently than others, numbers are marked for reallocation after however many days. Then, unless you do a manual search and grab something else, numbers available that day just get filled up in numerical order, i.e. they start with 416-2xx-xxxx, and work their way up. I know with Bell, for example, they will typically run out of 416s by about 11AM-1PM depending on the day, then it's 437s/647s, again in ascending numerical order (i.e. 647-2xx is assigned before 647-3xx) until the next day, etc. (Bell Mobility has way more 416s than Telus so I think the morning typically starts at 437 in Telus land) You can see the same thing trying to set up a new line online with Fido or Rogers - Fido may start with 416-7xx, then shortly move on to 416-8xx, then move on to 437s (I don't think Fido has any blocks in 416 lower than 7xx). (Keep in mind that many of those numbers are assigned through completely automated processes, e.g. people signing up for Apple Watch plans that don't even give any opportunity to pick the number. And others are assigned by humans at corporate dealers or stores that don't care what number is assigned.)

So my view would be that you are likely stuck unless you can figure out on WHAT day that number is eligible for reallocation and you arrange to grab it before the system automagically assigns it to somebody else.

Now, if the number you wanted is a 905, say, you'd probably have a much better chance: the system will start by allocating 289s in the morning, then 365s, so unless it runs out of 365s during the day, it won't touch the 905 blocks and the only way to get an available 905 number is to have someone manually search for it. But if the number you want is in the numerically-lowest area code, you don't have that luxury.

(You can look up who has what blocks of numbers in each area code/rate center at CNAC to get a sense of what order the system will go in)

(Also, one other possibility - that number could have been ported to a carrier who didn't release it back to Telus when the service with them was cancelled. Or the 'not in service' error could mean it's assigned to a data-only device like a tablet, hotspot, or Apple Watch - I forget what error one gets trying to dial those numbers which have not been provisioned for voice service)