Telephone numbering plan

Area code -- ran (talk) 21:24, Jan 30, 2005 (UTC)

A Telephone numbering plan allows subscribers to make and receive telephone calls, taking different formats in different parts of the world, although the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has attempted to promote common standards among nation states. For example, the ITU recommends that member states adopt 00 as their international access code. However, as these recommendations are not binding on member states, many have not, such as the United States, Canada, and other countries and territories participating in the North American Numbering Plan.

Open Numbering Plans

An open numbering plan is one in which there are different dialing arrangements for local and long distance telephone calls. This means that to call another number within the same city or area, callers need only dial the number, but for calls outside the area, an area code is required. The area code is prefixed by a trunk code (usually "0"), which is omitted when calling from outside the country. To call a number in Amsterdam in the Netherlands for example:

xxx xxxx (within Amsterdam- no area code required)
(020) xxx xxxx (outside Amsterdam)  
+31 20 xxx xxxx (outside the Netherlands)

In the United States, Canada, and other countries or territories using the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), the trunk code is '1', which is also (by coincidence) the country calling code. To call a number in San Francisco, the dialing procedure will vary:

xxx xxxx (local calls, no area code required)  
1 415 xxx xxxx (outside San Francisco)
+1 415 xxx xxxx (outside NANP)

Closed Numbering Plans

A closed numbering plan is one in which the subscriber's number is a standard length, and is used for all calls, even in the same area. This has traditionally been the case in small countries and territories where area codes have not been required. However, there has been a trend in many countries towards making all numbers a standard length, and incorporating the area code into the subscriber's number.This usually makes the use of a trunk code obsolete. For example, to call Oslo in Norway before 1992, one would dial:

xxx xxx              (within Oslo - no area code required)
(02) xxx xxx         
+47 2 xxx xxx        (outside Norway)

After 1992, this changed to a closed eight-digit numbering plan, eg:

22xx xxxx     (within Norway - including Oslo)   
+47 22xx xxxx (outside Norway)

In other countries, such as France, Belgium, Switzerland, and South Africa, the trunk code is retained for domestic calls, whether local or national, eg:

Paris 01 xxxx xxxx (outside France +33 1 xxxx xxxx)
Brussels 02 xxx xxxx (outside Belgium +32 2 xxx xxxx)
Geneva 022 xxx xxxx  (outside Switzerland +41 22 xxx xxxx) 
Cape Town 021 xxx xxxx (outside South Africa +27 21 xxx xxxx)

While the use of full national dialing is less user-friendly than only using a local number without the area code, the increased use of mobile phones, which require full national dialing and can store numbers, means that this is of decreasing importance. It also makes easier to display numbers in the international format, as no trunk code is required- hence a number in Prague Czech Republic can now be displayed as:

+420 2 xxxx xxxx formerly:
02 xxxx xxxx  (inside Czech Republic) 
+420 2 xxxx xxxx (outside Czech Republic)

Numbering Plans by Country

Argentina

Country Code: 54

Trunk code is 0. International code is 00. International operator is 000. National operator is 19.

In Argentina, changes were made to area codes in 1999, when the telephone network was split up into three different areas, with a new digit representing the new telephone company.

01x numbers in Buenos Aires
02x numbers in southern provinces under Telefónica 
03x numbers in northern provinces under Telecom

Similarly, the digit '4' was added to subscribers' numbers. For example, before the change, a number in Buenos Aires would have been dialed as follows:

  xxx xxxx (within Buenos Aires)
  (01) xxx xxxx (within Argentina)
  +54 1  xxx xxxx (outside Argentina)

After the 1999 change, it would instead be dialed as:

  4xxx xxxx (within Buenos Aires)
  (011) 4xxx xxxx (within Argentina)
  +54 11 4xxx xxxx (outside Argentina)

Until 1998, calls from Argentina to Uruguay were made using domestic dialing codes. For example, to call a number in Montevideo from Argentina before 1998:

 059 xxx xxx 

After 1998, this changed to:

00 598 2 xxx xxx 

Although Argentina claims the Falkland Islands, which it calls Las Islas Malvinas as part of its national territory, calls are made using the Islands' country calling code, e.g:

 00 500 xx xxx

Cell phones in Argentina always start with number 15. For instance if a user wanted to call a Buenos Aires cell phone, from within Buenos Aires, he/she would have to dial:

 15 xxxx-xxxx

Should the user want to call a cellphone in another province, he/she would have to add the local prefix, e.g:

 0351 15 xxx-xxxx if it is a Córdoba cell phone
 0341 15 xxx-xxxx if it is a Rosario cell phone
 0221 15 xxx-xxxx if it is a La Plata cellphone

Since 2003, the digit '9' had to be dialled when calling mobile phone number in Argentina from abroad:

 +54 9 11 xxxx xxxx 

Toll-free numbers in Argentina must be dialed the following way:

 0-800 xxx-xxxx

Numbers that are payed as local calls countrywide start with 0810. This numbers are mostly used by companies that have branches in different provinces and only one call center:

 0-810 xxx-xxxx

Dial-up internet access in Argentina gets a special, reduced-tariff number:

 0610 xxx-xxxx

However, 0610 tends to be confused with "gaming" phones, where a special 3 pesos + VAT tariff is quoted. These numbers always have to be dialed like this:

 0609 xxx-xxxx

All 0800, 0810 and 0609 have the same number countrywide. However, 0610 only can be used in the Internet Service Provider's area.

Some of the reserved, toll-free special numbers are:

Emergencies:

 100 Firehouse
 101 Police
 107 Ambulance

Starting in January 2004 in the city of Buenos Aires, the new emergency number will be 911. Unlike 100, 101 and 107, 911 will have people trained for the task of handling emergencies. Sadly, it's not unusual (in small towns) to call police at 101 and be told to "wait a sec while I get pen and paper".

Services:

 110 Phone Listings
 112 Customer Care (for telephone customers)
 113 Current time
 114 Phone repair
 115 Ring test
 121 Phone usage info (delayed 24 or more hours)

Australia

Country Code: 61

Telephone numbers in Australia consist of a single digit area code and eight-digit local numbers, the first four of which generally specify the exchange, and the final four a line at that exchange. (Most exchanges though have several four-digit exchange codes.)

Australia is divided geographically into a few large area codes, some of which covering more than one state and territory. Prior to the introduction of eight-digit numbers in the early to mid-1990s, telephone numbers were seven digits in the major capital cities, with a single digit area code, and six digits in other areas with a two digit area code.

Following reorganisation of the numbering plan between 1996 and 1998, the following numbering ranges are now used:

02  New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory
03  Victoria and Tasmania
04  Mobile phone services
07  Queensland
08  Western Australia (including Christmas Island 
and Cocos Keeling Islands), South Australia and Northern  
Territory.)

The main international prefix is 0011. 000 is the emergency telephone number in Australia, but the internationally accepted GSM mobile emergency telephone number 112 also works on mobile phones.

Telephone numbers within Australia are allocated by the Australian Communications Authority.

See Australian telephone numbering plan

Brazil

Country Code: 55

In Brazil, long distance and international dialling requires the use of carrier selection codes, after the trunk code or international access code.

For example, to call Rio de Janeiro from another city in Brazil, one would dial the trunk code '0', a two-digit code, the area code '021' and the subscriber's number. Consequently, a Rio de Janeiro number would be displayed in Brazil as

0xx21 xxxx xxxx. 

(Some smaller cities and towns still use seven number digit for local number, such as Natal (area code for that state is '84', in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, in northeastern Brazil. It would look like this: 0xx84 xxx xxxx. Seven-digit numbers are disappearing quickly. By 2005 there will be no more seven-digit numbers.)

This does not affect inbound international dialling, as outside Brazil one would only dial Brazil's country calling code, Rio de Janeiro area code and subscriber's number: +55 21 xxxx xxxx.

To call internationally from Brazil, one would dial the international access code and the two-digit code, followed by the country calling code, area code and number, hence for a number in Manhattan:

00xx 1 212 xxx xxxx.

The current carriers (the two digits you should dial after the "0") are:

Embratel: 21
Intelig: 23
Telemar: 31
Brasil Telecom*: 14
Telefônica: 15
Claro**: 36
TIM**: 41
CTBC*: 12
GVT*: 25
Vesper São Paulo*: 89
Vesper Norte-Leste*: 85
Sercomtel*: 43

Those marked with an asterisc (*) are only avalaible to certain areas. The ones with "**" are to be used with mobile phones only.

Area codes are distributed geographically:

• • 1 State of São Paulo (11 to 19);
    • 11 - Greater São Paulo
    • 12 - Taubaté / São José dos Campos
    • 13 - Santos
    • 14 - Bauru / Marília
    • 15 - Sorocaba
    • 16 - Ribeirão Preto / Araraquara / Franca
    • 17 - São José do Rio Preto
    • 18 - Presidente Prudente / Araçatuba
    • 19 - Campinas / Piracicaba / Rio Claro

• • 2 States of Rio de Janeiro (21, 22 and 24) and Espírito Santo (27 and 28);
    • 21 - Greater Rio de Janeiro / Teresópolis
    • 22 - Campos dos Goytacazes / Cabo Frio / Nova Friburgo
    • 24 - Volta Redonda / Petrópolis / Angra dos Reis
    • 27 - Vitória / Linhares
    • 28 - Cachoeiro do Itapemirim

• • 3 State of Minas Gerais (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37 and 38);
    • 31 - Belo Horizonte / Ipatinga
    • 32 - Juiz de Fora
    • 33 - Governador Valadares
    • 34 - Uberlândia
    • 35 - Varginha / Pouso Alegre
    • 37 - Divinópolis
    • 38 - Montes Claros / Diamantina

• • 4 States of Paraná (41 to 46) and Santa Catarina (47 to 49);
    • 41 - Curitiba / Paranaguá
    • 42 - Ponta Grossa / Guarapuava
    • 43 - Londrina
    • 44 - Maringá
    • 45 - Foz do Iguaçu / Cascavel
    • 46 - Pato Branco / Francisco Beltrão
    • 47 - Joinville / Blumenau / Camboriú
    • 48 - Florianópolis / Criciúma
    • 49 - Lages / Concórdia

• • 5 State of Rio Grande do Sul (51, 53, 54 and 55);
    • 51 - Porto Alegre / Torres / Santa Cruz do Sul
    • 53 - Pelotas / Rio Grande / Bagé
    • 54 - Caxias do Sul / Passo Fundo
    • 55 - Santa Maria / Uruguaiana / Cruz Alta

• • 6 West - Federal District (61), Goiás (62 and 64), Tocantins (63), Mato Grosso (65 and 66), Mato Grosso do Sul (67), Acre (68) and Rondônia (69);
    • 61 - Brasília
    • 62 - Goiânia
    • 63 - entire State of Tocantins (cap. Palmas)
    • 64 - Rio Verde / Catalão
    • 65 - Cuiabá
    • 66 - Rondonópolis / Alta Floresta
    • 67 - entire State of Mato Grosso do Sul (cap. Campo Grande)
    • 68 - entire State of Acre (cap. Rio Branco)
    • 69 - entire State of Rondônia (cap. Porto Velho)

• • 7 States of Bahia (71, 73, 74, 75 and 77) and Sergipe (79);
    • 71 - Salvador
    • 73 - Ilhéus / Itabuna / Porto Seguro
    • 74 - Jacobina / Juazeiro
    • 75 - Feira de Santana / Alagoinhas
    • 77 - Vitória da Conquista / Barreiras
    • 79 - entire State of Sergipe (cap. Aracaju)

• • 8 Northeast - States of Pernambuco (81 and 87), Alagoas (82),

Paraíba (83), Rio Grande do Norte (84), Ceará (85 and 88), Piauí (86 and 89);

• • • 81 - Recife
    • 82 - entire State of Alagoas (cap. Maceió)
    • 83 - entire State of Paraíba (cap. João Pessoa)
    • 84 - entire State of Rio Grande do norte (cap. Natal)
    • 85 - Fortaleza
    • 86 - Teresina / Parnaíba
    • 87 - Salgueiro / Petrolina
    • 88 - Sobral / Crato
    • 89 - Picos / Oeiras

• • 9 North - States of Pará (91, 93 and 94), Amazonas (92 and 97), Roraima (95) and Amapá (96), plus State of Maranhão (98 and 99).
    • 91 - Belém
    • 92 - Manaus
    • 93 - Santarém
    • 94 - Marabá
    • 95 - entire State of Roraima (cap. Boa Vista)
    • 96 - entire State of Amapá (cap. Macapá)
    • 97 - Tefé / Tabatinga
    • 98 - São Luís
    • 99 - Imperatriz / Caxias

A note about mobile telephony in Brazil

Mobile phone numbers are usually prefixed with the digit '7', '8' or '9'. '7' is reserved for radiophone use (Nextel).

Numbers with an '8' are always GSM Mobiles, while '9' can be mostly analogue (AMPS), TDMA and CDMA mobiles. The prefix number in mobile telephony is related to the license the carrier has. On newer licenses, use of the '8' digit is mandatory, while the previously state-onwned mobile operators always uses '9'. Some GSM mobiles can be prefixed with a '9' because the now privatized operators decided to overlay using this technlogy.

Mobile phone numbers generally have eight digits. Exceptions exist in Brasilia.

China

See China telephone numbering plan

Colombia

Country Code: 57

Colombia has various dialing plans, depending on the type of service. The dialing system for conventional landline numbers by origin of call is the following:

 nxx xxxx locally ("n" ranges 2-8. The number 9 is reserved for pay phones)
 0ab nxx xxxx domestic long distance
 +57 b nxx xxxx international long distance

The letter "a" represents the 3 national long-distance carriers.

 5 Orbitel
 7 ETB 
 9 Telecom (the government-owned long-distance carrier)

The letter "b" represents the dialing zones in which the country is divided. No department lies under 2 dialing zones, to make zoning more straightforward. Number 3 was formerly used in current zone 2, but was later reclaimed for mobile services.

 1 Bogotá and Cundinamarca
 2 Valle del Cauca, Cauca and Nariño
 4 Antioquia, Chocó and Córdoba
 5 Atlántico, Bolívar, Cesar, La Guajira, Magdalena and Sucre
 6 Caldas, Risaralda and Quindío
 7 Santander, Norte de Santander and Arauca
 8 Boyacá, Tolima, Huila, San Andrés, Meta, Caquetá and 
 the Amazon and Orinoco departments (Casanare, Vichada, Guainía,
 Vaupés, Guaviare, Amazonas and Putumayo)

For international dialling, subscribers must dial 00, then a digit assigned to one of the above mentioned long distance carriers. To place a call in St. Louis, Missouri in the US, a subscriber would dial:

 00a 1 314 xxx xxxx

Mobile services

The dialing system for mobile phones by origin of call is the following

 mmm xxx xxxx from any mobile phone 
 03 mmm xxx xxxx from any landline phone
 +57 mmm xxx xxxx from outside Colombia

The number "mmm" represent the access code for each mobile phone operator in the country:

 300 Colombia Móvil (under the commercial name OLA)
 310, 311 Comcel
 315 BellSouth Colombia (soon to be Telefónica, after  
Telefónica's buyout of all BellSouth mobile communication 
companies in Latin America) 

To dial a landline phone from a mobile phone, the following procedure is used:

 03b nxx xxxx, where "b" corresponds to the dialing zone in  
which the landline phone is located

To dial a foreign phone number from a mobile phone in Colombia, the same procedure intended for landline phones is used. Calls will be billed to the mobile phone user, but the carrier's name will appear in a special line in the statement.

Toll-free services

To dial toll-free services, the following dialing system is used:

 01 800 xxx xxxx

Before 2002, the format used to be 9800 xxxxxx. When the current format was implemented in early 2002, existing toll-free numbers were given the format 01 800 0xx xxxx. But in advertising the numbers were regrouped 01 8000 xxxxxx, so many people erroneously think the general format for toll free is " 01 8000".

Other special services

Fee-based services.

 01 900 xxx xxxx
 01 901 xxx xxxx

Per-minute-billed dial-up Internet services.

 01 947 xxx xxxx

European Union (1996 proposal)

Proposed Country Code: 3

In 1996, the European Commission proposed the introduction of a single telephone numbering plan, in which all European Union member states would use the code '3'. Calls between member states would no longer require the use of the international acces code '00'. This proposal would have required countries like Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark and others, whose country codes began with the digit '4', to return these to the International Telecommunication Union. For example, to call a number in Berlin, in Germany:

xxxx xxxx (within Berlin)
030 xxxx xxxx (within Germany)
1 4930 xxxx xxxx (within the EU)
+3 49 30  xxxx xxxx (outside the EU)

Countries like Ireland, Portugal and Finland, which used codes in the '35x' range, would adopt a different format. For example, to call a number in Dublin, Ireland:

xxxx xxxx (within Dublin)
01 xxxx xxxx (within Ireland)
1 53 1 xxxx xxxx (within the EU)
+3 53 1  xxxx xxxx (outside the EU)

A Green Paper on the proposal was published, but it was felt by many in the industry that the disruption and inconvenience of such a scheme would outweigh any advantages.

The EU proposal should not be confused with the European Telephony Numbering Space (ETNS) scheme, which uses the code +388, and is intended to complement, rather than replace, existing national numbering plans.

Finland

Country Code: 358

Finland's numbering plan was reorganised in 1996, with the number of area codes being reduced, and the trunk code being changed from 9 to 0. This meant that the area code for Helsinki also changed:

Before 1996: 
90' xxx xxx     within Finland
+358 0 xxx xxx outside Finland

After 1996:
09' xxx xxx     within Finland
+358 9 xxx xxx outside Finland

The default international access code became 00, although other codes such as 999 are also still used.

France

Country Code: 33

In 1996, France changed to a ten-digit numbering scheme, as follows:

01 Paris
02 Northeast France
03 Northwest France
04 Southeast France
05 Southwest France
06 Mobile phone services 
08 Freephone (numéro vert) and shared cost services.

See French telephone numbering plan

Germany

Country Code: 49

Following German reunification in 1990, the former East Germany's code +37 was relinquished and returned to the ITU for reallocation. Similarly, the digit '3' is the initial digit for the new area codes in the former East Germany, while the area code 030 for West Berlin was used for the reunified city.

There are no standard lengths for either area codes or subscribers' numbers in Germany, meaning that some subscribers' numbers may be as short as three digits. The default length for newly assigned numbers (area code without 0 + subscriber number) is 10 or 11 digits, but older shorter numbers will not be replaced, but not reassigned if given back. The Area Codes are, if not counting the national thunk prefix '0', from 2 Digits (only for Berlin +49 30, Hamburg +49 40, Frankfurt +49 69 and Munich +49 89) to 5 Digits in the former East Germany in +49 3. Area Codes in +49 2, +49 4 to +49 9 are up to 4 digits. 3 digit area codes of the form +49 XY1 where assigned to the cities, where the former central switching bords where placed (usually bigger cities). Exceptions from the numbering sceme exists in the rhein-ruhr-area, where many big cities can be found and in the former east.

Non-geographic numbers, including mobile phone services, are prefixed with '01' (+49 1 internationally). 0130 was originally used for toll-free numbers, but this has been changed to 0800. The prefix 0180 is used for shared cost services while 0700 is for personal numbers. Premium rate numbers use the prefix 0900 (the older prefix 0190 is being phased out); these are not accessible from outside Germany. Mobile numbers have area codes from (+49 15XX to +49 17X).

Geographic codes beginning with '02' (+49 2 internationally) are placed in the western part of the country, e.g. '0221' for Cologne (+49 221 internationally) or '0211' for Düsseldorf (+49 211 internationally), '03' (+49 3 internationally) as stated above in the former East Germany, '04' (+49 4 internationally) numbers in the north (e.g. Hamburg +49 40 oder Bremen +49 421), '05' (+49 5 internationally) numbers in the middle-north (e.g. +49 511 for Hanover or +49 521 for Bielefeld), '06' (+49 6 internationally) in the central parts (e.g. +49 69 for Frankfurt or +49 611 for Wiesbaden), '07'(+49 7 internationally) in the south-west (e.g. +49 711 for Stuttgart oder +49 721 for Karsruhe), '08' (+49 8 internationally)for the south-east (e.g. +49 89 for Munich oder +49 821 for Augsburg) and '09' (+49 9 internationally) in the south-east (e.g. +49 911 for Nuremberg or +49 921 for Bayreuth).

The international access code and the emergency services number are the European standard 00 and 112, respectively.

Greece

Country Code: 30

During 2001-2002, Greece moved to a closed ten-digit numbering scheme in two stages, with the result that subscribers' numbers changed twice. For example, before the change, a number in Athens would have been dialed as follows:

xxx xxxx (within Athens)
(01) xxx xxxx (within Greece)
+30 1 xxx xxxx (outside Greece)

In 2001, a '0' was added after the area code, which was incorporated into the subscriber's number:

010 xxx xxxx (within Greece, including Athens)
+30 10 xxx xxxx (outside Greece)

Finally, in 2002, the leading '0' was changed to a '2' (for geographic numbers) :

 210 xxx xxxx (within Greece, including Athens)
+30 210 xxx xxxx (outside Greece)

Mobile phone numbers were similarly prefixed with the digit '6'.

Hong Kong

Country Code: 852

Telephone numbers in Hong Kong are eight-digit. Numbers start with 6 and 9 are assigned to cellular phones, and fixed lines are started with 2 and 3. 7 is assigned to pager services providers, and 8 is assigned to forwarding services.

Fixed-line phone numbers were either six- or seven-digit in the 1980s. Area codes were assigned with the following pattern.

3  Kowloon and New Kowloon
5  Hong Kong Island
0  the New Territories, excluding New Kowloon

Cellular phone numbers are all eight-digit starting with '9'.

In the early 1990s the area codes were abolished. For the six-digit numbers the area codes became part of the phone number, wheareas for the seven-digit ones area code was no longer required.

3 xx xxxx
 (xx xxxx  from within Kowloon and New Kowloon)  became 3xx xxxx
3 xxx xxxx
 (xxx xxxx from within Kowloon and New Kowloon)  became xxx xxxx
5 xx xxxx
 (xx xxxx  from within Hong Kong Island)         became 5xx xxxx
5 xxx xxxx
 (xxx xxxx from within Hong Kong Island)         became xxx xxxx
0 xxx xxxx 
 (xxx xxxx from within the New Territories)      became xxx xxxx 

In the mid 1990s, the number '2' is added to the beginning of all fixed-line numbers, becoming eight-digit. The number '7' is added to the beginning of the numbers of the pager services providers.

xxx xxxx   became   2xxx xxxx
11xx xxx   became   711xx xxx
11xx xxxxx became   7xx xxxxx
9xxx xxxx  remained 9xxx xxxx (the same)

Numbers started with '3' was introduced when '2' for fixed lines was running out. Cell phone numbers remain eight-digit. Numbers '6' started to be used when numbers started with '9' were running out. In other words,

2xxx xxxx  fixed lines
3xxx xxxx  fixed lines and dialup ISPs
6xxx xxxx  cellular phones
7xxx xxxx  pager services
8xxx xxxx  forwarding services
9xxx xxxx  cellular phones

Before the introduction of portable fixed line numbers, there were certain patterns that fixed line phone numbers were assigned according to district. For instance, the 4 serie is for Tuen Mun and Yuen Long, 6 for Tai Po and Sha Tin, and 8 for Island East.

Calling to Macao, Mainland China and Republic of China (Taiwan) follows the rule of international calls.

Macao                        YYY 853 xxx xxx
Mainland China               YYY 86  [Area Code] xxxx xxxx
Republic of China (Taiwan)   YYY 886 [Area Code] xxx xxxx

Other countries              YYY [Country Code] [Area Code] xxxx xxxx

*YYY being the access code of the IDD services provider.

Emergency number is 999, for police, fire services and ambulance. And there are some special numbers which are three- to five-digit. Some paid phone services such as phone games are 9-digit.

Ireland

Country Code: 353

Telephone numbers in Ireland are similar in format to those in the United Kingdom, with only the subscriber's number being required for local dialing. The trunk prefix is '0' followed by an area code, the first digit indicating the geographical area.

01  Dublin
02  Cork (021) and South
04  Drogheda (041) and East 
05  Waterford (051) and South East
06  Limerick (061) and South West
07  Sligo (071)and North West
09  Galway (091) and West

Area codes have varied in length, between one and three digits, and subscribers' numbers between five and seven digits but there is now a migration to a standard format, as follows:

 (0xx) xxx xxxx

Dublin numbers are seven digits, but may change to eight digits in the future. The 08 numbering range was originally used for calls to Northern Ireland, but following the UK's renumbering of Northern Ireland in 2000, this changed, so to call a number in Belfast from the Republic:

Before 2000: (080) 1232 xxx xxx
After 2000: (048) 90xx xxxx; 
or via the UK numbering plan;  00 44 28 90xx xxxx 

The 03 numbering range was originally used for calls to Britain, but this was discontinued in 1992, when the international access code changed from 16 to 00.

 Before 1992: 030 xxx xxx xxx
 After 1992:  00 44 xxx xxx xxx

Mobile phones use the prefixes 086, 087 and 088, with 0818 being used for 'find me anywhere' services. Freephone services use the prefix 1800, while shared cost or Lo-Call numbers use the prefix 1850. Internet access numbers use the prefix 1891, 1892 and 1893.

Italy

Country Code: 39

Italy changed to a closed numbering plan in 1998, with callers being told in to fissa il prefisso ("fix the prefix"). Unlike in other closed numbering plans the trunk code '0' was simply incorporated into subscribers' landline numbers; e.g. a number in Rome:

06 xxx xxxx    (within Rome - after 1999)
06 xxx xxxx    (within Italy)   
+39 06 xxx xxx  (outside Italy - after 1998)

Calls to mobile phone numbers within Italy were also affected, deleting the previously used prefix '0' (as it was already happening for oversea callers); e.g. for Omnitel-Vodafone provider in Italy:

0347 xxx xxx (within Italy - before 1999)
347 xxx xxx (within Italy - after 1999)
+39 347 xxx xxx (outside Italy) 

Until 1996, San Marino was part of the Italian numbering plan, using the Italian area code 0549 but in that year it adopted its own international code 378. However,instead of using international dialing codes, dialling arrangements between San Marino and Italy continued as before. In 1998, San Marino incorporated the 0549 area code into its subscribers' numbers, following the Italian format:

0549 xxx xxx (San Marino from Italy)
+378 0549 xxx xxx (San Marino from rest of the world)
+39 0549 xxx xxx (San Marino via Italy)

Japan

Country Code: 81

In general, land line (primarily NTT) numbers are 10 digits long, with area codes in inverse proportion to city size.

 06 xxxx xxxx (Osaka)
 075 xxx xxxx (Kyoto)
 0742 xx xxxx (Nara)
 04992 x xxxx (Niijima island, Tokyo pref.)
 082486 xxxx (Takano, Hiroshima pref.)

Area codes increase from north to south; Sapporo in Hokkaido (the northernmost prefecture) has 011, and Setouchi-cho's 09973 is far to the south in Kagoshima. When the telephone system was devised, Okinawa was still under US occupation, so when it was returned to Japan in 1972, its telephone numbers were squeezed between Miyazaki (098x) and Kagoshima (099x), and begin with 0988, 0989, and 0980.

Other numbers are 11 digits long, such as mobile numbers, which have either the 090 or 080 prefixes followed by eight digits. Similarly, PHS phones have 070; dedicated internet lines have 050 (with the last four digits often matching the subscriber's land-based number), and personal pagers 020.

Especially during the 1990s, as plans were being drawn up to amalgamate mid-sized cities and towns into larger municipalities, telephone numbering systems were merged in advance. For example,

  07442 x xxxx Kashihara (Nara prefecture)
  07444 x xxxx Sakurai
  074452 xxxx Takatori
  074454 xxxx Asuka
  etc.

became:

  0744 2x xxxx Kashihara
  0744 4x xxxx Sakurai
  0744 52 xxxx Takatori
  0744 54 xxxx Asuka
  etc.

Many of these towns have in fact refused to merge, leaving callers with more digits to dial when making local calls. This is partially balanced by not having to dial an area code for the neighboring city.

Special emergency numbers in Japan include 110 for the police and 119 for the fire department.

Toll-free calls have the prefixes 0120 and 0800, and special-charge nationwide numbers begin with 0570 and 0990.

Mexico

Country Code: 52

In 1999 Mexico introduced the following new prefixes long distance calls for long distance and international calls:

00 - international direct dialing (00 + country code + nat'l number) 
 including USA and Canada.
01 - domestic direct dialing (01 + area code + number) 
02 - domestic person-to-person (02 + area code + number) 
09 - international person-to-person (09 + country code + number) 
 including USA and Canada.

This did not affect calls from outside Mexico, which continued to be dialed in the same format, for example, to call a number in Mexico City:

 +52 55 xxxx xxxx

Netherlands

Country Code: 31

In the Netherlands, the area codes are -- excluding the leading '0' -- one, two or three digits long, with larger towns and cities having shorter area codes permitting a larger number of telephone numbers in the ten digits used. Since renumbering in 1996, subscribers' numbers are now either six digits long, or in the larger towns and cities, seven digits.

010:  Rotterdam
020:  Amsterdam
030:  Utrecht
040:  Eindhoven
050:  Groningen
06x:  mobile phone number
0676: internet access number
070:  The Hague
0800: toll free number
0900: premium rate call
0906: premium rate
112:  emergency services number

Previously, 06 was used for toll-free and premium rate numbers, while 09 was used as the international access code, before this changed to 00.

See Telephone numbers in the Netherlands

New Zealand

Country Code: 64

Since 1993, land-line telephone numbers in New Zealand consist of a single-digit area code and seven-digit local numbers, the first three of which generally specify the exchange and the final four a line at that exchange. The long distance prefix is '0'.

There are five regional area codes, which must be used when calling outside the local dialing area, for example from Christchurch to Dunedin in the South Island, the '03' prefix must be dialed first. In many parts of the country, the old area code was incorporated into the new number, hence Nelson (055) xx xxx became (03) 55x xxxx .

03 the South Island and the Chatham Islands
04 Wellington Region except the Wairarapa and Otaki
06 the remaining southern and eastern North Island:
          - Taranaki
          - Manawatu-Wanganui except Taumarunui
          - Hawke's Bay
          - Gisborne
          - the Wairarapa and Otaki
07 the Waikato, the Bay of Plenty and Taumarunui
09 Auckland and Northland

Mobile phone numbers are prefixed with 02, followed by one digit and the subscriber's number, which is either six or seven digits, dialled in full, e.g. 025 xxx xxx or 027 xxx xxxx. Free call services generally use the prefix 0800 (although some use 0508) while local rate (usually internet access numbers) have the prefix 08xx. Premium rate services use the code 0900 followed by five digits.

The main international prefix is '00' (there are others for special purposes, such as 0161, for discounted rates). The emergency services number is '111'.

Portugal

Country Code: 351

Portugal changed to a closed numbering plan in 1999. Previously, the trunk prefix was '0', but this was dropped, and the area code, prefixed by the digit '2' was incorporated into the subscriber's number, so that a nine-digit number was used for all calls, eg:

   xxx xxxx             (within Lisbon)
(01) xxx xxxx    (within Portugal)   
+351 1 xxx xxxx   (outside Portugal) 
+351 21x xxx xxx  (after 1999)

Mobiles similarly changed, with the digits '96' replacing the prefix '0936':

 0936 xxx xxx   (within Portugal)
 +351 936 xxx xxxx  (outside Portugal) 
 +351 96 xxx xxxx (after 1999)

Other new number ranges include:

 10xx        Carrier selection codes
 700 xxx xxx Personal numbering
 8xx xxx xxx Geographic expansion 
 800 xxx xxx Freephone
 80x xxx xxx Shared cost

Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States

Country Code: 7

Under the Russian numbering plan, the trunk code is '8', with subscribers numbers being a total of ten digits long, e.g Moscow:

xxx xxxx  (within Moscow)
8 095 xxx xxxx  (within Russia and some CIS republics)
+7 095 xxx xxxx  (outside Russia and some CIS republics)

Following the break-up of the former Soviet Union, all former republics apart from Kazakhstan now have separate international from Russia, although from some republics, the old area codes are still used. The international access code is 8~10 - callers dial '8', wait for a tone, and then dial '10', followed by the number.

Spain

Country Code: 34

Spain changed to a closed numbering plan in 1998. Previously, the trunk prefix was '9', but this was incorporated into the subscriber's number, so that a nine-digit number was used for all calls, eg:

   xxx xxxx             (within Madrid)
(91) xxx xxxx    (within Spain)   
+34 1 xxx xxxx   (outside Spain) 
+34 91x xxx xxx  (after 1998)

Mobiles similarly changed, prefixed with the digit '6':

 906 xxx xxx   (within Spain)
 +34 06 xxx xxx  (outside Spain) 
 +34 606 xxx xxx (after 1998)

New numbering ranges have also since been introduced:

 10xx        Carrier selection codes
 700 xxx xxx Personal numbering
 8xx xxx xxx Geographic expansion 
 800 xxx xxx Freephone
 80x xxx xxx Shared cost 

Spain's international access code also changed from 07 to 00, but this did not affect dialing arangements for calls to Gibraltar, in which the provincial code 9567 is used instead of the international code 350, eg:

 9567 xxxxx (Gibraltar from Spain)
 +350 xxxxx (Gibraltar from all other countries)  
 +34 9567 xxxxx (Gibraltar via Spain)

Sweden

Country Code: 46

In Sweden, the area codes are -- excluding the leading '0' -- one, two or three digits long, with larger towns and cities having shorter area codes permitting a larger number of telephone numbers in the eight to ten digits used. Before the 1990s, ten-digit numbers were very rare, but they have become increasingly common because of the deregulation of telecommunications, the new 112 emergency number, which required change of all numbers starting with 11, and the creation of a single area code for the Greater Stockholm area. No subscriber number is shorter than five digits.

010:    NMT mobile phones
01x(x): South Middle Sweden
020:    toll free
0200:   toll free
02x(x): North Middle Sweden
03x(x): Central South Sweden
031:    Gothenburg
040:    Malmö
04x(x): Southern Sweden
05x(x): Western Sweden
06x(x): Northern Sweden
070:    GSM mobile phones
073:    GSM mobile phones
0730:   GSM mobile phones
076:    GSM mobile phones
07x(x): various non-geographical area codes
08:     Greater Stockholm
09x(x): Far Northern Sweden and premium rate calls
112:    emergency services number

Sweden adopted 00 as its international access code in 1999, replacing 009 and 007.

According to the postal and telecommunication services supervising authority Post- och Telestyrelsen, it seems possible that Sweden will adopt a closed numbering plan in the future.

Switzerland

Country Code: 41

In 2002, Switzerland adopted a closed numbering plan, but retained the use of the trunk code 0. The original plan was to dispense with the trunk code completely, so that all calls within Switzerland would only require a nine-digit number. However, this was modified on grounds of cost. The 01 prefix for numbers in Zurich is being phased out in favor of 044, with 043 being used for overlay numbers.

Until 1999, Liechtenstein formed part of the Swiss numbering plan, using the area code 075, but in that year it adopted its own international code 423, meaning that calls to and from Switzerland require international dialing.

The 07 number range is now used for mobile phone services.

United Kingdom

Country Code: 44

Since April 28, 2001, the overall structure of the UK's National Numbering Plan is:

01 Geographic area codes
02 Geographic area codes (newly introduced in 2000)
03 Reserved for area codes
04 Reserved
05 Reserved for corporate numbering and VoiP services.
06 Reserved
07 "Find Me Anywhere" services (mobile phone, pager & personal numbers)
08 Freephone (toll free), Local & National Rate numbers
09 Premium Rate services and multimedia

See UK Telephone numbering plan