Telephone numbers in Gibraltar
Encyclopedia
Country Code: +350
International Call Prefix: 00
Trunk Prefix
: none
The Gibraltar telephone numbering plan
is the system used for assigning telephone number
s in Gibraltar
. It is regulated by the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority
(GRA), which holds responsibility for telecommunication
s.
The country calling code to Gibraltar is +350. When calling abroad from Gibraltar, the international call prefix is 00.
Gibraltar's first telephone exchange
was set up in 1886 as a private enterprise and then taken over by the Government of Gibraltar. In the 1970s there were three generations of automatic telephone exchange equipment in use with four and five digit numbers.
The volume of calls grew and a System X
digital exchange was installed and was taken over by a privatised telephone operator
, Gibtelecom
, who also operate a GSM network.
Direct telephone connections between Gibraltar
and Spain
were severed in 1969, when land communications between both territories were halted by the government of Francisco Franco
, as a result of the Spanish sovereignty claim
, and were not restored until 1986.
However, Gibraltar remained subject to restrictions after that date, which affected the expansion and modernisation of Gibraltar's telecommunications infrastructure. These included a refusal to recognise Gibraltar's International Direct Dialling (IDD) code (+350) which restricted the expansion of Gibraltar's telephone numbering plan
, and the prevention of roaming arrangements for Gibraltar GSM mobile phone
s in Spain and vice versa. Following the signing of the Córdoba Accord between the Governments of Gibraltar, the United Kingdom and Spain in September 2006, these restrictions were removed with effect from 10 February 2007.
s and mobile phones in Gibraltar are eight digits long. Prior to this date, landline numbers consisted of five digits starting with either 4, 5 or 7, while mobile phone numbers remain unchanged. Since this date all calls to existing Gibtelecom five digit landline number have to be prefixed with 200, making the numbers eight digits long.
Thus 52200 becomes 20052200 and when dialled from outside Gibraltar +350 200 52200.
CTS (Gibraltar) Limited, an established alternative telecommunications provider began to offer a landline service prefixed with 216.
International Call Prefix: 00
Trunk Prefix
Trunk prefix
A trunk prefix is the number to be dialed in a domestic telephone call, preceding any necessary area codes and subscriber numbers. When the number is called from overseas, the trunk prefix is omitted by the caller. In most countries, such as Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom, the trunk...
: none
The Gibraltar telephone numbering plan
Telephone numbering plan
A telephone numbering plan is a type of numbering scheme used in telecommunications to allocate telephone numbers to subscribers and to route telephone calls in a telephone network. A closed numbering plan, such as found in North America, imposes a fixed total length to numbers...
is the system used for assigning telephone number
Telephone number
A telephone number or phone number is a sequence of digits used to call from one telephone line to another in a public switched telephone network. When telephone numbers were invented, they were short — as few as one, two or three digits — and were given orally to a switchboard operator...
s in Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
. It is regulated by the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority
Gibraltar Regulatory Authority
The Gibraltar Regulatory Authority was established by the Gibraltar Regulatory Act in October 2000. The GRA is the statutory body in Gibraltar responsible for regulating electronic communications. This includes telecommunications, radio communications and broadcasting transmissions. The GRA serves...
(GRA), which holds responsibility for telecommunication
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
s.
The country calling code to Gibraltar is +350. When calling abroad from Gibraltar, the international call prefix is 00.
History
Telephone exchange
In the field of telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls...
was set up in 1886 as a private enterprise and then taken over by the Government of Gibraltar. In the 1970s there were three generations of automatic telephone exchange equipment in use with four and five digit numbers.
The volume of calls grew and a System X
System X (telephony)
System X was the name of the UK's first national digital telephone exchange system.-Development:System X was developed by the UK Post Office , GEC, Plessey, and Standard Telephones and Cables and first shown in public in 1979 at the Telecom 79 exhibition in Geneva Switzerland...
digital exchange was installed and was taken over by a privatised telephone operator
Telephone operator
A telephone operator is either* a person who provides assistance to a telephone caller, usually in the placing of operator assisted telephone calls such as calls from a pay phone, collect calls , calls which are billed to a credit card, station-to-station and person-to-person calls, and certain...
, Gibtelecom
Gibtelecom
Gibtelecom is the largest telecommunications provider in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Its headquarters are located on John Mackintosh Square.-History:...
, who also operate a GSM network.
Direct telephone connections between Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
were severed in 1969, when land communications between both territories were halted by the government of Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
, as a result of the Spanish sovereignty claim
Disputed status of Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory, near the southernmost tip of the Iberian peninsula, which is the subject of a disputed irredentist claim by Spain....
, and were not restored until 1986.
However, Gibraltar remained subject to restrictions after that date, which affected the expansion and modernisation of Gibraltar's telecommunications infrastructure. These included a refusal to recognise Gibraltar's International Direct Dialling (IDD) code (+350) which restricted the expansion of Gibraltar's telephone numbering plan
Telephone numbering plan
A telephone numbering plan is a type of numbering scheme used in telecommunications to allocate telephone numbers to subscribers and to route telephone calls in a telephone network. A closed numbering plan, such as found in North America, imposes a fixed total length to numbers...
, and the prevention of roaming arrangements for Gibraltar GSM mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s in Spain and vice versa. Following the signing of the Córdoba Accord between the Governments of Gibraltar, the United Kingdom and Spain in September 2006, these restrictions were removed with effect from 10 February 2007.
New numbering plan
Since 1 October 2008 telephone numbers for landlineLandline
A landline was originally an overland telegraph wire, as opposed to an undersea cable. Currently, landline refers to a telephone line which travels through a solid medium, either metal wire or optical fibre, as distinguished from a mobile cellular line, where transmission is via radio waves...
s and mobile phones in Gibraltar are eight digits long. Prior to this date, landline numbers consisted of five digits starting with either 4, 5 or 7, while mobile phone numbers remain unchanged. Since this date all calls to existing Gibtelecom five digit landline number have to be prefixed with 200, making the numbers eight digits long.
Thus 52200 becomes 20052200 and when dialled from outside Gibraltar +350 200 52200.
CTS (Gibraltar) Limited, an established alternative telecommunications provider began to offer a landline service prefixed with 216.