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Understanding Phone Numbers in North Carolina
Quick Reference Guide
- Country: United States (North Carolina)
- Country Code: +1
- International Prefix: 011
- National Prefix: 1
Overview
Discover the intricacies of North Carolina's telephone numbering plan. This guide is essential for telecom professionals, developers, and anyone involved in telecommunications. It covers the structure, formats, and dialing rules for phone numbers in this region, ensuring you have the most accurate and up-to-date information.
Number Formats
General Structure
North Carolina utilizes the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). Phone numbers follow this structure:
- Country Code: +1
- Area Code: 3 digits (e.g., 919)
- Subscriber Number: 7 digits (e.g., 123-4567)
Detailed Number Formats
| Type | Format | Example | Regex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landline | +1 NXX-NXX-XXXX | +1 919-123-4567 | ^\+1 [2-9]\d{2}-\d{3}-\d{4}$ |
| Mobile | +1 NXX-NXX-XXXX | +1 252-789-0123 | ^\+1 [2-9]\d{2}-\d{3}-\d{4}$ |
| Toll-Free | +1 800-XXX-XXXX | +1 800-123-4567 | ^\+1 800-\d{3}-\d{4}$ |
| Premium Rate | +1 900-XXX-XXXX | +1 900-123-4567 | ^\+1 900-\d{3}-\d{4}$ |
| Emergency | 911 | 911 | ^911$ |
Note: NXX refers to area codes or central office codes where N is any digit from 2-9, and X is any digit from 0-9.
Area Codes
North Carolina is served by several area codes, each covering different regions:
- 252: Eastern North Carolina, including Rocky Mount.
- 336/743: Central North Carolina, including Greensboro.
- 704/980: Western North Carolina, including Charlotte.
- 828: Western North Carolina, including Asheville.
- 910/472: Southeastern North Carolina, including Fayetteville and Wilmington.
- 919/984: Central North Carolina, including Raleigh and Durham.
Special Prefixes
- Toll-Free Numbers: Typically start with
800,888,877,866,855,844, and833. - Premium Rate Numbers: Typically start with
900.
Dialing Procedures
Domestic Calls
- Local Calls: Dial the 10-digit number, including the area code (e.g., 919-123-4567).
- Long-Distance Calls: Dial 1 + area code + phone number (e.g., 1-919-123-4567).
International Calls
- Outgoing: Dial 011 + country code + area code + phone number (e.g., 011 + 44 + 20 + 1234 5678 for a call to London, UK).
- Incoming: International callers should dial their international access code, followed by +1, the area code, and the 7-digit subscriber number (e.g., +1 919-123-4567).
Number Portability
North Carolina supports number portability, allowing users to retain their phone numbers when switching between service providers. This applies to both mobile and fixed-line numbers. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) oversees number portability regulations in the United States.
Regulatory Body
The North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) is responsible for overseeing telecommunications in North Carolina.
Recent or Upcoming Changes to the Numbering Plan
- 472 Area Code Overlay: Introduced in October 2022 as an overlay to the 910 area code, requiring 10-digit dialing for all local calls within the 910/472 regions.
Number Allocation and Management
Number allocation in North Carolina is managed under the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). The North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) is responsible for assigning area codes and managing the overall numbering resources.
Technical Considerations
For developers and systems administrators working with North Carolina phone numbers, consider the following:
- Validation: Use regular expressions (as provided above) to validate phone numbers.
- Normalization: Ensure phone numbers are stored in a consistent format, including the country code (e.g., +1 919-123-4567).
- Portability Checks: Implement checks for number portability to ensure seamless user experience when customers switch carriers.
- Dialing Rules: Implement logic to handle different dialing scenarios (local, long-distance, international).
- Time Zone Awareness: Be aware of time zone differences when scheduling calls or sending messages within North Carolina.
Info: For the most up-to-date information on telecommunications regulations in North Carolina, please consult the official website of the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC).