AT&T is readying NumberSync, a new feature that will allow its customers to share a single number across smartphones, tablets and other devices through its network.

The service, which will launch “fairly soon”, will be designed for its customers to own and use multiple devices that have built in wireless connections and connect to a primary phone number.

This means users can send or receive texts and calls from a number of devices through that same recognisable number.

The US operator said the service is network-based, meaning it will work “even if your primary phone is turned off or disconnected from the network”, and will also not be limited to one device or operating system.

Apple has a similar offering, based purely on its own devices, to allow users to make calls and send messages through Macs or iPads, as well as its smartphones.

In time, AT&T expects the service to develop to accommodate even more devices, and said it is actively working with its ecosystem to integrate NumberSync.

AT&T’s mobility CEO Glenn Lurie told Re/Code this could include smartwatches, other wearables and even connected cars in the future, while noting pairing smartphones to cars via Bluetooth remained a complicated experience.

“This is really a first in the industry that we are giving customers the ability to do this,” Lurie told the publication.

The US operator had reportedly been testing the underlying technology under the code name Cascade since last year, and said there won’t be a separate charge to share one number.

Re/Code reports many existing smartphones will be able to support the feature through a software upgrade, with the company looking to work with all manufacturers going forward.