Faroe Islands Phone Numbers: Format, Area Code & Validation Guide - phone-number-standards - Faroe Islands phone numbers, international dialing +298, Faroe Islands area codes, phone-format

Faroe Islands Phone Numbers: Format, Area Code & Validation Guide

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the Faroe Islands telephone numbering system, designed for developers building telecommunications applications, managing systems, or implementing dialing solutions. It covers number formats, validation, infrastructure considerations, emergency service integration, and best practices.

Quick Reference

  • Country: Faroe Islands
  • Country Code: +298
  • International Prefix: 00
  • National Prefix: None
  • Regulatory Authority: Telecommunications Authority of the Faroe Islands
  • Time Zone: UTC+0 (Western European Time)
  • Emergency Services:
    • 112 - General Emergency
    • 113 - Police
    • 1870 - Medical Assistance (non-emergency)

Telecommunications Infrastructure

The Faroe Islands boasts a robust and modern telecommunications infrastructure, crucial for its geographically dispersed population across 18 islands.

  • Comprehensive Coverage: 4G/LTE covers 98% of inhabited areas, with 5G rolled out to the entire population across all 18 islands, achieving 100% coverage. This includes challenging terrains and even extends to ferries and fishing boats up to 100km offshore. (Source: Ericsson)
  • High-Speed Connectivity: Fiber optic submarine cables connect the islands to mainland Europe, ensuring high-speed data services and low latency. Satellite backup systems further enhance connectivity reliability.
  • Network Redundancy: Multiple routing paths guarantee service reliability and minimize disruptions.
  • Key Operators: Faroese Telecom is the primary operator, providing nationwide coverage and a backbone for other providers like Hey and Vodafone.

Number Formats and Validation

Number Structure

Faroe Islands phone numbers are six digits long, preceded by the country code +298 for international calls. The first digit (prefix) indicates the service type (e.g., landline, mobile).

+298 [2-9] [XXXXX]
  • Prefix 2-4: Generally designates landlines.
  • Prefix 5-9: Typically indicates mobile numbers.

Validation Examples (JavaScript)

function validateFaroeseNumber(phoneNumber) {
  // Normalize by removing non-digit characters and the country code
  const normalizedNumber = phoneNumber.replace(/\D/g,'').replace(/^298/, '');

  // Check for 6-digit length and valid prefix
  return normalizedNumber.length === 6 && /^[2-9]/.test(normalizedNumber);
}

console.log(validateFaroeseNumber('+298234567')); // true
console.log(validateFaroeseNumber('298512345')); // true
console.log(validateFaroeseNumber('123456')); // false 
console.log(validateFaroeseNumber('+4512345678')); // false (Danish number)

Advanced Validation with Service Differentiation

You can refine validation to distinguish between landlines, mobile, and emergency numbers:

const FAROE_PATTERNS = {
  landline: /^[2-4]\d{5}$/,
  mobile: /^[5-9]\d{5}$/,
  emergency: /^(112|113|1870)$/
};

function validateFaroeseNumberByType(number, type) {
    const normalizedNumber = number.replace(/\D/g,'').replace(/^298/, '');
    return FAROE_PATTERNS[type].test(normalizedNumber);
}

console.log(validateFaroeseNumberByType('212345', 'landline')); // true
console.log(validateFaroeseNumberByType('+298712345', 'mobile')); // true

Emergency Services Integration

Integrating with Faroe Islands' emergency services requires careful attention to specific technical and regulatory requirements.

  • Priority Routing: Implement logic to identify emergency numbers (112, 113, 1870) and prioritize their routing.
function handleEmergencyCall(phoneNumber) {
  const emergencyNumbers = {
    '112': 'general',
    '113': 'police',
    '1870': 'medical-nonemergency'
  };
  return emergencyNumbers[phoneNumber] 
    ? { priority: 'high', service: emergencyNumbers[phoneNumber] }
    : { priority: 'normal', service: 'standard' };
}
  • Critical Requirements:
    • Accessibility: Emergency numbers must be reachable even on locked devices.
    • Location Services: Provide accurate caller location information to emergency services.
    • Network Precedence: Emergency calls must receive priority on the network.
    • Fallback Mechanisms: Ensure emergency calls can be made on any available network.

Developer Best Practices

Number Handling

  • E.164 Format: Store phone numbers in international format (+298XXXXXXXX) for consistency and interoperability.
  • Robust Validation: Implement thorough validation to prevent invalid numbers from entering your system. Consider using regular expressions and checking against known prefixes.
  • International Formatting: Provide options for displaying numbers in both international and local formats.

Service Integration

  • Secure Protocols: Use TLS 1.3 or later for all API communication.
  • Rate Limiting: Implement rate limiting to prevent abuse and ensure service availability.
  • Network Monitoring: Continuously monitor network stability and performance to proactively address potential issues.

Error Management

  • Graceful Fallbacks: Implement error handling and fallback mechanisms to maintain functionality in case of network issues or service disruptions.
  • Logging: Log validation failures and other errors for debugging and analysis.
  • Service Availability Monitoring: Monitor the availability of your services and implement alerts for downtime.

Time Zone Handling

Use the correct time zone identifier (Atlantic/Faroe) when dealing with time-sensitive operations.

const FAROE_TZ = 'Atlantic/Faroe';
const options = { timeZone: FAROE_TZ };
const faroeTime = new Date().toLocaleString('en-US', options);

Network Operator Detection

While not always essential, you can identify the network operator based on the prefix:

function detectOperator(prefix) {
  const operators = {
    '2': 'Faroese Telecom',
    '3': 'Faroese Telecom',
    '5': 'Faroese Telecom',
    '7': 'Hey',
    '8': 'Hey',
    '6': 'Vodafone',
    '9': 'Vodafone'
  };
  return operators[prefix] || 'Unknown';
}

Regulatory Compliance

Always consult the Telecommunications Authority of the Faroe Islands for the latest regulations and ensure your applications comply with data protection requirements, emergency service access mandates, and number portability protocols.

Additional Resources