Australian telephone numbering plan
From Free net encyclopedia
The Australian telephone numbering plan was reorganised by the Australian Communications Authority between 1996 and 1998. As in other countries, due to the increase in subscriber uptake of services such as extra telephone lines in homes, mobile phones and other services, the previous numbering plan was being stretched to its limit. It was decided to simplify the number of area codes and lengthen all subscriber numbers by one or two digits. This was done progressively to ensure as little inconvenience and/or confusion as possible. It was also to avoid number clashes, a situation where two subscribers in two completely different locations have technically the same telephone number if dialled in their entirety.
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Present numbering plan
Australia is now divided geographically into a few large area codes, some of which cover more than one state and territory. The standard telephone number in Australia has ten digits, of which the first is "0".
Fixed line telephone numbers in Australia consist of the long distance prefix (0), a single digit area code, and an eight-digit local number. The first four "local" digits generally specify the exchange, and the final four a line at that exchange. (Most exchanges, though, have several four-digit exchange codes - whereas in regional areas they use 5-digit exchange codes and 3-digit line numbers. Some very small exchanges can even have a 6-digit exchange code if there will never be more than 100 lines on that exchage.)
During the period of changeover, Australians were often told they were required to dial the entire telephone number they were calling, including the area code, even though the number may have been within the same area code. For example, a caller in Sydney with the number (02) 9xxx xxxx would need to dial (02) 49xx xxxx to call a number in Newcastle, despite the area code being the same. This was in order to avoid possible number clashes. Although this practice officially ceased on March 1, 1999, many still believe they are required to dial an area code outside their own telephone book area, but this is not the case.
Mobile phone numbers are prefixed with 04, followed by eight digits. e.g. 04yy yxx xxx. The y-digit codes are allocated per network, although with the introduction of number portability, there is no longer a fixed relationship between the mobile phone number and the network it uses. The numbers are still allocated in blocks, so a new number will generally still be on its "home" network.
The following is the dialing plan in international format. Geographic areas are approximate - the area codes do not exactly match political territories. Domestically, 0 is dialed before these codes, as in 02 for Sydney. Internationally these are dialled directly after the country code (61). End-user numbers are 9 digits length, written in the form 0x xxxx xxxx for geographic and 04xx xxx xxx for mobile numbers.
- 0 International access numbers
- 011 international access (default)
- 014 international access (Primus)
- 015 international access (Telstra - fax)
- 016 international access (Telstra)
- 018 international access (Telstra - "easy half hours")
- 019 international access (Singtel Optus)
- (Normal international alternate carrier selection usually uses 14xx 0011 [countrycode] [number].)
- 1 Alternate phone services
- 14 satellite phone services
- 16 paging [+3D or +6D]
- 18 analogue (AMPS) mobile phone - few numbers still in use [+6D]
- 198 data networks [+2D or +6D]
- 2 Central East region (NSW, ACT)
- 3 South-east region (VIC, TAS)
- 4 mobile services (Digital - GSM, CDMA, 3G)
- 5 Universal/Personal numberings (uncommon)
- 7 North-east region (QLD)
- 8 Central and West region (SA, NT, WA)
(Geographical region boundaries do not exactly follow state borders.)
Geographical areas are identified by the first few digits of the local number:
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- 2 40** Newcastle (new)
- 2 42** Wollongong
- 2 43** Gosford
- 2 44** Moruya, Nowra
- 2 45** Windsor
- 2 46** Campbelltown^
- 2 47** Penrith
- 2 48** Bowral, Crookwell, Goulburn, Marulan
- 2 49** Newcastle
- 2 53** Bathurst, etal (new)
- 2 57** Armidale, etal (new)
- 2 58** Bourke, etal (new)
- 2 59** Adelong, etal (new)
- 2 60** Albury, Wagga Wagga, etal
- 2 61** Canberra (new)
- 2 62** Canberra
- 2 63** Bathurst, etal
- 2 64** Bega, Cooma
- 2 65** Kempsey, Taree, etal
- 2 66** Casino, Coffs Harbour, Lismore, etal
- 2 67** Armidale, etal
- 2 68** Bourke, etal
- 2 69** Adelong, etal
- 2 8*** Sydney (new)
- 2 9*** Sydney
- 3 44** Bendigo, etal (new)
- 3 50** Mildura, Balranald, etal
- 3 51** Bairnsdale, etal
- 3 52** Colac, Geelong
- 3 53** Ballarat, etal
- 3 54** Bendigo, etal
- 3 55** Camperdown, etal
- 3 56** Foster, etal
- 3 57** Alexandra, etal
- 3 58** Deniliquin, etal
- 3 59** Mornington, etal
- 3 62** Hobart
- 3 63** Launceston
- 3 64** Queenstown, etal
- 3 8*** Melbourne (new)
- 3 9*** Melbourne
- 7 3*** Brisbane, Bribie Island
- 7 40** Cairns
- 7 41** Bundaberg, Kingaroy, etal
- 7 45** Toowoomba, Roma, south-west (new)
- 7 46** Toowoomba, Roma, south-west
- 7 47** Townsville, etal
- 7 48** Rockhampton, Mackay, etal (new)
- 7 49** Rockhampton, Mackay, etal
- 7 53** Sunshine Coast, Esk^, Nambour, Gatton, etal (new)
- 7 54** Sunshine Coast, Esk^, Nambour, Gatton, etal
- 7 55** Gold Coast (Beaudesert) [not 7 5551]
- 7 56** Gold Coast (Beaudesert) (new)
- 8 61** Perth (new)
- 8 62** Perth (new)
- 8 63** Perth (new)
- 8 64** Perth (new)
- 8 65** Perth (new)
- 8 68** Albany, etal (new)
- 8 71** Adelaide (new)
- 8 72** Adelaide (new)
- 8 73** Adelaide (new)
- 8 74** Adelaide (new)
- 8 75** Berri, etal (new)
- 8 76** Ceduna, etal (new)
- 8 80** Broken Hill
- 8 81** Adelaide
- 8 82** Adelaide
- 8 83** Adelaide
- 8 84** Adelaide
- 8 85** Berri, etal
- 8 86** Ceduna, etal
- 8 87** Bordertown, etal
- 8 88** Clare, etal
- 8 89** Northern Territory (Alice Spings, Darwin)
- 8 90** Kalgoorlie, etal
- 8 91** Derby, etal [inc Cocos/Christmas Inslands]
- 8 92** Perth
- 8 93** Perth
- 8 94** Perth
- 8 95** Bullsbrook East, etal
- 8 96** Moora, etal
- 8 97** Bridgetown, etal
- 8 98** Albany, etal
- 8 99** Camamah, etal
^ means not the entire charge zone (new) means new since renumbering x 5551 reserved for fictitious use. (not including x=3) x 7010 reserved for fictitious use.
Generally the following numbers apply for the following mobile companies:
4x1; 4x2; 4x3 Optus
4x4; 4x5; 4x6 Vodafone
4x7; 4x8; 4x9 Telstra
However mobile number portability means the number might have been moved.
Also, where x>=3 is where it starts to break (eg 433 is Hutchinson
("Three Mobile"), 434 is Optus) There are also many resellers.
The personal numbers: 500 "Find me anywhere" - divert the number to a mobile or normal number and the caller pays the bill 550 Proposed VOIP range 59 Enum testing numbers
The following codes are not generally dialable from international points, but used in domestic dialing: 000 Emergency (Police, Fire, Ambulance) 001x International access (x is for type or company) 106 TTY emergency (for the hearing-impaired) 110 Community service [+1D or +3D or +5D] 1100 Faults and service difficulties (residential) 112 Emergency from certain phones only 114 Mass calling service [+5D] 119 Community service [+1D] (eg 1194 is time and 1196 is weather) 122 operator services (eg 1223 is directory assistance) [+1D] 126 Internal network services [+?D] 127 Testing numbers (eg 12722123 reads your number) [+variesD] 13 Local rate calls [+4D or +6D or +8D] 14xx Carrier selection override prefix [+number] 15 Internal network testing [+?D] 180 FreeCall [+4D or +7D] 183x Control service (prefix) eg: [+number] 1831 Block caller-id sending 1832 Unblock Caller-id sending 19 Premium rate services [+4D or +6D or +8D]
Some Notes:
- These numbers do not have a trunk prefix (0).
- The 106 number is believed to be first in the world.
- The 13 numbers are generally 6 digits, but are expensive for the
number owner (like $2500/month); or 10 digits beginning with 1300.
These numbers provide source-based routing, for things like pizza
chains to advertise one number nationwide but customers always get
the local store.
- All freecall numbers I've seen are still 1800 [+6D].
- Premium rate services are generally 1900 (for live operator) or 1902
(for recorded messages) [+6D] for calling, or 6 or 8 digits total for
premium SMS.
The current numbering plan would appear to be sufficient to cope with potential increase in demand for services for quite some time to come.
Previous numbering plan
Prior to reorganisation, the Australian numbering plan was as follows:
00z xxx xxx Tasmania (z=2, 3, 4) 0055 xx xxx Premium rate 008 xxx xxx Freecall 01z xxx xxx Mobile phone services. (z=4, 6, 8, 9) 02 xxx xxxx Sydney 03 xxx xxxx Melbourne 04x xxx xxx New South Wales regional areas - ~ within 250 km of Sydney 05x xxx xxx Victoria regional areas 06 2xx xxxx Australian Capital Territory 06x xxx xxx New South Wales regional areas ~ outside the 04x codes and the ACT 07 zxx xxxx Brisbane (z=2,3,8) 07x xxx xxx Queensland regional areas 08 zxx xxxx Adelaide (z=2,3,4) 08x xxx xxx South Australia regional areas 089 xxx xxx Northern Territory 09 zxx xxxx Perth (z=2,3,4) 09x xxx xxx Western Australia regional areas 091 62x xxx Christmas Island* 091 64x xxx Cocos Keeling Islands*
* Until 1994, these territories were not part of the Australian numbering plan, and instead used the code 672, for the Australian External Territories of Norfolk Island and the Australian Antarctic Territory. They have changed to 08 9162 and 08 9164 respectively, but other ranges are now used on the islands (at least in theory).
List of fomer area codes and changes (links by state at the bottom of the page)
International access codes
The main international prefix is 0011 (there are others for special purposes, such as 0018, for charging in half-hour blocks, 0015, for fax traffic, and 0014, for discounted rates). However, carrier selection codes (14xx) are now also used, and carrier pre-selection is widely used.
Emergency services number
000 is the emergency telephone number in Australia, but the international GSM mobile emergency telephone number 112 also works on mobile phones.
Increased awareness of the 112 emergency number in Australia has led to the potential for confusion over which number to call in an emergency. 112 does not work from land lines, but confers special benefits when dialed from GSM mobiles (use of any carrier, preferential routing, etc). The ACA has worked to ensure that the benefits of 112 also extend to 000 on mobile phones; however, this can not be guaranteed on privately imported (eg. roaming) telephones.
106 is for the hearing-impaired for use with a TTY terminal.
Freecall, local and premium-rate numbers
Australia also uses the free call area code 1800. This is copied from the U.S. prefix 1-800, but while in North America, the 1 is the long-distance prefix and 800 is the area code, 1800 in Australia is itself an area code (prior to the introduction of 8-digit numbers, the area code was 008).
Similarly, '190x' (NOTE: not to be confused with '0198' - see below !!) is the code for charging services (i.e. recorded information, competition lines, psychics, phone sex, etc). (Prior to the introduction of 8-digit numbers, the area code was 0055.)
There are also 13 and 1300 numbers, known as Local Rate Numbers. These work across large areas (up to across Australia) and only charge a local call, routing the call to the appropriate place in a given area. (For example, a company could have the number 139999 and have the telephone company set it up so that calls made in Melbourne would route to their Melbourne number, calls made in Brisbane to their Brisbane number, and calls made anywhere else in Australia route to their Sydney number, all at a local charge cost to the caller.)
All calls to 0198 numbers are similarly a "local call" cost to '13' and '1300' numbers but are used for internet service provider access numbers. They are used both with "dial up modems" modems and ISDN (but confirm with your ISP for ISDN !)
Other Numbers
014 numbers are for satellite phones. There is some cross-over with 04 numbers, however.