Two provinces are running out of landline phone numbers: Future ones will start with an 8
Two provinces are running out of landline phone numbers: Future ones will start with an 8
NEW telephone number prefixes possibly starting with an 8 are being planned for Madrid and the Basque Country province of Guipúzcoa for when existing combinations starting with the usual 9 run out.
At the moment, Madrid numbers start with 91, but as yet has not reached 919 which will be the next to be offered – and when this has run out, new ones may start with 81.
Guipúzcoa numbers start with 943, but new landline numbers may soon start with 843.
Due to ongoing demand for new landline telephone numbers, both the province of Guipúzcoa, and the single-province region of Greater Madrid, are likely to run out of combinations in the short to medium term, says the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC).
The last national phone number plan released was in 2015, when 86.5 million combinations were attributed to new landlines, although only 79.8% of those have been taken up.
Very few parts of Spain are likely to run out of numbers in the foreseeable future except these two areas – in Madrid, 97% of combinations issued became 'real-live' phone numbers when new landlines were installed in homes or businesses, and in Guipúzcoa, this reached 91%.
Although these are the most urgent areas needing fresh combinations shortly, others are catching up.
In the provinces of Alicante (965 and 966), Badajoz (924) and Valencia (962 for the province and 961 and 963 for the city), a total of 87% of last year's numbers have been taken up.
Cádiz (956) and Barcelona (93) are at 86%; Lleida (973) and Sevilla (95) are on 84%; Navarra (948), Burgos (947) and Castellón (964) are on 83%; Huelva (959) is on 82%; and A Coruña (981), Almería (950), Jaén (953) and Ciudad Real (926) are on 81%.
Once a province's phone number combination take-up rate starts to exceed 80%, the CNMC starts to plan new ones.
Already, new mobile phone numbers – which traditionally start with a 6 – are now starting with a 7.
Spanish telephone numbers are nine digits long, commencing with a 9 for landlines and a 6, or now also 7, for mobiles.
At present, any numbers starting with an 8 are premium-rate only and members of the public are advised not to dial them.
