Area code 780

Last updated
Alberta's numbering plan areas and area codes Alberta area codes 2022.png
Alberta's numbering plan areas and area codes

Area code 780 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the Canadian province of Alberta. The numbering plan area comprises the northern two thirds of the province, including the Edmonton area. The area code was established in 1999 in a split of area code 403, which had served the entire province since the establishment of the original North American area codes in 1947. The numbering plan area is also served by area codes 587, 825, and 368, which form a complex overlay for all of Alberta.

Contents

History

When in 1947, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) announced plans for organizing the telephone networks of North American into a unified continental telephone numbering plan, Alberta was recognized as a single numbering plan area (NPA), receiving area code 403, as one of the original eighty-six area codes. In addition to the province, this included also the Yukon, and the western half of the Northwest Territories. It was the second-largest numbering plan area in the system and spanned more than one ninth of the circumference of the planet, from the 49th parallel north to the North Pole. On October 3, 1997, the numbering plan area was reduced to just the province of Alberta, and the Canadian territories were split off with the new area code 867.

Within only a year, area code 403 was threatened by exhaustion because of the rapid growth of telecommunication services demand for pagers, cellphones, and computer modems, as well as growing competition among providers.

For mitigating the threat of exhaustion, the northern two thirds of Alberta, including Edmonton, was split from 403 on January 25, 1999, receiving the new area code 780. Generally, everything from Red Deer, Lacombe, and Ponoka southward stayed in 403. Permissive dialing of 403 continued across the province until May 18, 1999. Area code 780 started use on January 25, 1999. Generally, everything north and west of Ponoka switched to 780. Permissive dialing of 403 continued throughout Alberta until May 18, 1999. Area code 780 is also the last new area code in Canada to be introduced by a split.

Within a decade, area code 780 was close to exhaustion once again, along with area 403 in the south. The solution for mitigation was to implement a complex overlay for the entire province, extending over both numbering plan areas, with the new area code 587. [1] [2] [3] Optional ten-digit dialing began on June 23, 2008 and became mandatory on September 12, 2008. [4] On September 20, 2008, Telus Mobility began to assign 587 telephone numbers to new customers in Calgary and Edmonton.

On April 9, 2016, all three numbering plan areas of the province were overlaid with an additional area code, 825. [5]

On January 21, 2022, the province was once again overlaid with another area code, 368. [6] [7]

Local exchange carriers

The incumbent local exchange carrier in area code 780 is Telus. [8] Until its merger with Telus in 1995, over three years prior to the startup of 780, the municipally-owned Edmonton Telephones (Ed Tel) served as an ILEC.

Service area and central office prefixes

See also

Related Research Articles

Area codes 519, 226, 548, and 382 are overlay telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for most of southwestern Ontario.

In telecommunications, an area code overlay complex is a telephone numbering plan that assigns multiple area codes to a geographic numbering plan area (NPA). Area code overlays are implemented in territories of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) to mitigate exhaustion of central office codes in growth areas. The method has been in use since 1992, and has been the preferred and exclusive method of relief since 2007.

Ten-digit dialing is a telephone dialing procedure in the countries and territories that are members of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). It is the practice of including the area code of a telephone number when dialing to initiate a telephone call. When necessary, the ten-digit number may be prefixed with the trunk code 1, which is referred to as 1+10-digit dialing or national format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Area code 867</span> Telephone area code for the northern Canadian territories

Area code 867 is the area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the three Canadian territories, all of which are in Northern Canada. The area code was created on October 21, 1997, by combining regions that were previously served with area code 403 and area code 819 in one numbering plan area (NPA). As the least populated NPA in mainland North America, serving about 100,000 people, it is geographically the largest, at 3,921,739 km2 (1,514,192 sq mi), with Alaska (907) a distant second.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Area codes 920 and 274</span> Area code in eastern Wisconsin, United States

Area codes 920 and 274 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for a large area of eastern Wisconsin. Area code 920 was created on July 26, 1997, in a split of area code 414, one of the original North American area codes of 1947. 274 was added to the same numbering plan area (NPA) on May 5, 2023 to create an area code overlay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Area code 564</span> Telephone area code for western Washington, United States

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Area codes 514, 438, and 263</span> Telephone area codes for Montreal

Area codes 514, 438, and 263 are telephone area codes of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for Montreal and most of its on-island suburbs, specifically the Island of Montreal and Île Perrot in the Canadian province of Quebec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Area code 608</span> Telephone area code for southwestern Wisconsin

Area code 608 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan for much of southwestern Wisconsin, including the state capital city Madison. The area code was assigned in 1955 to a numbering plan area created from areas with area code 414 and area code 715, and was the third area code created in Wisconsin. Rapid growth of the area, specifically in Dane County, has brought the area code close to exhaustion of central office prefixes, with NANPA projections in 2022 projecting the need for relief by late 2023. In September 2022, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission and North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) announced an overlay complex for the numbering plan area with new area code 353, with an in-service date of September 15, 2023. New central office code orders were accepted starting on July 11, 2023, but can only be activated once all 608 central office codes are assigned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Area codes 813 and 656</span> Telephone area code for Tampa, Florida

Area codes 813 and 656 are area codes in the North American Numbering Plan for the U.S. state of Florida in the city of Tampa, Florida, and its surrounding areas, such as Zephyrhills and Oldsmar. In 2022, due to exhaustion of central office prefixes, area code 656 was added to the service area forming an overlay complex.

Area codes 876 and 658 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for Jamaica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Area codes 204, 431, and 584</span> Telephone area codes for Manitoba

Area codes 204, 431, and 584 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the Canadian province of Manitoba. Area code 204 is one of the nine original North American area codes assigned to Canada in 1947. Area codes 431 and 584 were assigned to the same numbering plan area (NPA) in 2012 and 2022, respectively, forming an overlay complex.

Area codes 778, 236, and 672 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the Canadian province of British Columbia. They form an overlay complex with area code 604, which serves only a small southwestern section, the Lower Mainland, of the province, and area code 250, which serves the rest of the province.

Area codes 306, 639, and 474 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the entire Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Area code 306 is the original area code, and area codes 639 and 474 were added to create an overlay complex for the entire province. The incumbent local exchange carrier is SaskTel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Area code 403</span> Telephone area code for southern Alberta

Area code 403 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the Canadian province of Alberta. The numbering plan area encompasses the southern third of the province, which includes the Calgary area. This numbering plan area is also served by area codes 587, 825, and 368, which form a complex overlay for all of Alberta.

Area codes 506 and 428 are the telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Area code 506 was created in 1955 in a split of numbering plan area (NPA) 902. Area code 428 was added to the same numbering plan area in 2023 to form an overlay plan of the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Area code 604</span> Telephone area code in British Columbia, Canada

Area code 604 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan for southwestern British Columbia, Canada. The numbering plan area comprises the Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast, Howe Sound / Sea to Sky Corridor, Fraser Valley and the lower Fraser Canyon regions. The major city is Vancouver. The area code is one of the nine original North American area codes assigned to Canada in 1947.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Area codes 587, 825, and 368</span> Overlay area codes for Alberta, Canada

Area codes 587, 825, and 368 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the entire Canadian province of Alberta. They form an overlay with area code 403 of southern Alberta, and northern Alberta's 780. The complex overlay involving a total of five area codes in Alberta mandated ten-digit dialing throughout the province.

References

  1. "Planning Letter PL-364: NPA 587 to Overlay NPAs 403 and 780 (Alberta, Canada)" (PDF). NANPA. 2007-07-27.
  2. "Planning Letter PL-369: NPA 587 to Overlay NPAs 403 and 780 (Alberta, Canada)" (PDF). NANPA. 2007-10-15.
  3. "Planning Letter PL-374: NPA 587 to Overlay NPAs 403 and 780 (Alberta, Canada)" (PDF). NANPA. 2008-02-26.
  4. "Let your fingers do the 10-digit walking". CBC News. 2008-06-23.
  5. "Alberta set to dial up new 825 area code, CRTC announces". Calgary Sun. 2013-10-30. Archived from the original on 2015-07-31. Retrieved 2015-07-30.
  6. "Telecom Decision CRTC 2019-130". CRTC. 2019-05-03. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  7. "Telecom Decision CRTC 2021-101". CRTC. 2021-03-05.
  8. "File not found". cnac.ca. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
Alberta area codes: 403, 587/825/368, 780
North: 867
West: 250/778/236/672 780/368/587/825 East: 306/639
South: 403/368/587/825
British Columbia area codes: 236/672/778, 250, 604
Saskatchewan area codes: 306, 639
Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut area codes: 867

55°02′06″N114°58′05″W / 55.035°N 114.968°W / 55.035; -114.968