O2 offers automatic landline to mobile forwarding

O2's Fixed Number Anywhere can link up to five landline numbers to the same mobile phone

O2 has launched a new service which allows a call to a landline number to ring straight through to a mobile phone.

The operator explained that the Fixed Number Anywhere service is aimed particularly at small businesses, allowing workers who spend most of their time out of the office to convince customers that their business is local and established by having a landline number.

"Desk phones were great when business was done from a desk, but for the vast majority of small businesses the fixed nature of a landline is at odds with how they operate day to day," said Simon Devonshire, head of SME marketing at O2.

"By converging a fixed landline number with a mobile service, small businesses can continue to maintain an image of being a local business, which is valued by customers, whilst maintaining the flexibility and mobility that has enabled them to adapt and thrive in the current climate."

Businesses using Fixed Number Anywhere can link up to five landline numbers to the same mobile phone, and use existing BT telephone numbers or choose from a new number with a local geographical or Free Phone code.

O2 will not charge for calls routed to a mobile via the Fixed Number Anywhere service, and callers are charged at the standard rate for the fixed number dialled.

The service is available at a fixed price of £10 per month for landline numbers beginning with 01 or 02, and £15 per month for 0808 free phone numbers. Businesses bringing an existing BT 01 or 02 landline number to O2 and taking a new mobile connection will receive the service for free.

O2 has also corrected a problem yesterday that left thousands of customers across the UK without a mobile data connection. An O2 spokesman said that the issue was with the IP address allocation system.