Glossary
National numbering plan
Definition
The published allocation of every number range in a country, defining which prefixes are mobile, geographic, toll-free or premium.
Why it matters
Maintained by each country's regulator and published openly. It is why a number starting +33 6 is recognisably a French mobile and +33 1 is a Paris landline. Verification systems check submitted numbers against these plans, which is why the numbering data on our country pages is worth reading before you buy.
Related terms
- E.164The ITU standard for international phone number format: a plus sign, a country code, and the national number, up to fifteen digits total.
- VoIP vs non-VoIP numberA classification based on which block a number was allocated from, either a VoIP block or a mobile carrier range; the delivery technology does not matter.
Related reading
Sources
- ITU-T Recommendation E.164 — The international public telecommunication numbering plan · International Telecommunication UnionCountry calling codes, national significant number lengths, number structure
- ITU-T E.164 national numbering plans (Operational Bulletin annex) · International Telecommunication UnionPer-country numbering plans, mobile ranges, trunk prefixes
Part of the HushSMS glossary — 18 terms defined.