Technical Overview of Phone Numbers in Jamaica

Quick Reference

Country: Jamaica
Country Code: +1
International Prefix: 011
National Prefix: 1
Area Codes: 876, 658

Overview

This guide offers a detailed technical overview of Jamaica's telephone numbering plan. It covers phone number structures, dialing procedures, and regulatory information, essential for telecommunications professionals, developers, and system administrators seeking accurate and current data on Jamaica's phone number system.

Number Formats

General Number Structure

Jamaica adheres to the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), structuring phone numbers as follows:

Country Code: +1
Area Code: 876, 658
Subscriber Number: 7 digits

Number Format Table

Type	Example	Format	Description
Fixed-Line	+1 876 606 0123	`+1 (876/658) NXX-XXXX`	Standard 10-digit format for landlines, area code followed by 7-digit number.
Mobile	+1 876 209 1234	`+1 (876/658) NXX-XXXX`	Same format as fixed-line, with specific NXX ranges reserved for mobile numbers.
Toll-Free	800 234 5678	`800 [2-9]XX-XXXX`	Toll-free numbers starting with 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, or 888.
Premium Rate	900 234 5678	`900 [2-9]XX-XXXX`	Premium-rate services using the 900 prefix.

Regular Expressions for Number Validation

Below are the regular expressions to validate different types of phone numbers in Jamaica:

Fixed-Line and Mobile Numbers:
```
^\+1\s?(876|658)\s?[2-9]\d{2}\s?\d{4}$
```
Toll-Free Numbers:
```
^800[2-9]\d{6}$
```
Premium Rate Numbers:
```
^900[2-9]\d{6}$
```

Dialing Procedures

Domestic Calls

Landline to Landline: Dial the full 10-digit number, including the area code (e.g., 876 606 0123).
Landline to Mobile: Dial the full 10-digit number, including the area code (e.g., 876 209 1234).
Mobile to Mobile: Dial the full 10-digit number, including the area code (e.g., 876 209 1234).

International Calls

Outgoing: Dial the international prefix 011, followed by the country code 1, the area code, and the subscriber number. For example, to call a number in Jamaica from abroad: 011 +1 876 606 0123.
Incoming: Callers from outside Jamaica should dial their country's international access code, followed by +1, the area code, and the subscriber number.

Number Portability

Jamaica has implemented mobile number portability, allowing subscribers to retain their phone numbers when switching between service providers. This feature was introduced to enhance competition and improve customer convenience.

Major Telecom Operators and Number Ranges

Operator	Type	Area Codes	Number Ranges
Cable & Wireless/Liberty Global (FLOW Jamaica)	Fixed-Line	876, 658	Various
Digicel	Mobile	876, 658	Various

Regulatory Body

The telecommunications sector in Jamaica is regulated by the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR). The OUR is responsible for the administration of the numbering plan and ensuring compliance with ITU-T recommendations.

Official Website: Office of Utilities Regulation

Recent or Upcoming Changes to the Numbering Plan

Introduction of Area Code 658: To address the exhaustion of central office codes, Jamaica introduced the 658 area code in May 2019 as an overlay to the existing 876 area code.

ITU-T Recommendations

Jamaica adheres to the following ITU-T recommendations:

E.123: Notation for national and international telephone numbers.
E.164: The international public telecommunication numbering plan.

Number Allocation and Management

Number allocation in Jamaica is managed by the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR). They oversee the distribution of number ranges to operators and ensure efficient use of the numbering resources.

Technical Restrictions or Special Cases

Golden Numbers: There are no specific regulations or practices regarding golden numbers in Jamaica.
Number Blocking: No specific number blocking policies have been detailed.

Technical Considerations

For Developers and Systems Administrators

Number Parsing: Ensure your systems can correctly parse and validate Jamaican numbers using the provided regular expressions.
Number Portability: Implement checks to handle number portability, especially when dealing with mobile numbers.
Area Code Handling: Be prepared to handle both 876 and 658 area codes, as these are used interchangeably across the country.
International Dialing: Ensure international dialing procedures are correctly implemented, especially for systems supporting global communication.

For the most up-to-date information on telecommunications regulations in Jamaica, please consult the official website of the national telecommunications authority at Office of Utilities Regulation.