Area codes 902 and 782

Area codes 902 and 782 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Area code 902 was one of the original North American area codes established in October 1947.

The numbering plan area (NPA) 902 originally consisted of three Maritime provinces, with Newfoundland added shortly after it joined Canada in 1949. New Brunswick, along with Newfoundland, was assigned area code 506 in 1955. Newfoundland (now Newfoundland and Labrador) subsequently received a distinct area code, 709, in early 1962.

Area code 782 is an overlay area code for the same numbering plan area, introduced in August 2014, to relieve number exhaustion of 902.

The incumbent local exchange carrier in the numbering plan area is Bell Aliant, which was produced from a merger that included Island Telecom Inc. (formerly Island Telephone, but both were informally shortened to Island Tel), Maritime Telephone and Telegraph (MT&T), New Brunswick Tel (NBTel) and NewTel Communications (NewTel).

Overlay

In Canada, telephone numbering resources are allocated to competing carrier in blocks of 10,000 numbers, corresponding to a single three-digit central office prefix, in every rate centre in which the carrier offers new service, and every local interconnect region in which it intends to port existing numbers. While most rate centres do not need nearly that many numbers, but number pooling is not used as a relief measure, and numbers cannot be reallocated once assigned to a carrier and rate centre. While only 1.06 million people reside in numbering plan area 902, which provides 7.8 million possible seven-digit telephone numbers, the area code was projected to be exhausted by 2015.

In October 2012, area code 782 was announced for relief, which overlays the entire 902 area. Ten-digit dialing was mandatory in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island as of November 30, 2014.[1] The decision to implement a bi-provincial overlay may have been unusual, but was made to spare residents in rural areas of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island the burden of having to change numbers. As a result, the 782 area code was introduced on August 23, 2014.[2] A recorded message reminding callers that 10-digit dialling would become mandatory on November 30 was activated on August 23.[1] Exchanges in 782 were made available to telephone service providers on May 30, 2014, with numbers being assigned to customers once 10-digit dialing was activated.[1]

Service area

The number plan area 902/782 is unusual in that it spans two entire provinces, much like area code 867 is shared by the three Canadian territories: Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon. This practice is unique to Canada, although was practiced also in the Caribbean.

Nova Scotia

Prince Edward Island

Premium services

Premium services in the numbering plan area are provided with central office code 976: 1-902/782-976-xxxx.

See also

References
  1. "Planning Letter 454: NPA 782 to Overlay NPA 902 (Nova Scotia/Prince Edward Island, Canada)" (PDF). North American Numbering Plan Administration. May 31, 2013. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  2. "Nova Scotia and PEI to get new area code". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island area codes: 782/902
North: Gulf of Saint Lawrence, 418/581, 709
West: 506 902/782 East: Atlantic Ocean
South: Atlantic Ocean
New Brunswick area codes: 506
Newfoundland and Labrador area codes: 709
Quebec area codes: 367/418/581, 438/514, 450/579, 819/873

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