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672 BC Area Code

joelmarc
I'm a participant level 3
I'm a participant level 3

The new BC 672 Area Code launched on May 4, 2019 but after 2 calls with fido, it's not active in the Fido system. When will this area code be available to Fido customer to change to?

9 REPLIES 9

Hwr778
I'm helpful level 2
I'm helpful level 2

Hi there. Not sure what you mean by "active", as I went thru a whole big 672 issue with Fido about 2 mos ago. You can successfully CALL 672 numbers (that was the gist of my issue) but as there are still assignable prefixes (NXX' s) available in 236, as well as induvidual numbers inside Fido activated NPA-NXX's in most assignable rate centres, it will likely be a while before there are any Fido 672 numbers available for assignment. 

 

Does this clear up what you are asking?  Or is there something more specific you were trying to get at? 

czg416
I'm a participant level 3
I'm a participant level 3

As of today, only Telus has prefixes assigned in 672, and three of them (610/710/810) are for testing.

 

https://www.localcallingguide.com/lca_prefix.php?npa=672&nxx=&x=&ocn=&region=&lata=&lir=&switch=&pas...

Hwr778
I'm helpful level 2
I'm helpful level 2

This is correct to a point, checking CNAC, they list Bell West as having 672-323 as a Vancouver Plant Test number.

 

Telus has 672-610/710/810 in Vancouver/Victoria/Kelowna

Telus Mobility has 672-580/999 in Kelowna/Vancouver

 

If you check my previous thread on 672, you will see I had issues dialing the test and billing numbers in some of these exchanges, which was fixed by Fido rather quickly during the testing period, before the NPA itself went live.

 

I suspect that there will be no active assignments, unless someone goes after the vanity type numbers early, for a little while until 236 is a little more filled up.

 

Of note: all four of the TM test/bill numbers route incorrectly to voicemail, rather than the default recordings which they should.  Tried to get a hold of customer service/NOC at Telus Mobility to inform them of this back when I had the previous 672 issues, but that went nowhere at all, as I am not a TM customer (unable to provide a TM account number to register the service issue against).  Regardless, for me, it was easily established, even with the incorrect termination, that the NPA was active and Fido was routing it correctly.

 

Thanks also for your other info that you posted concerning NWTel service into 250...

 

One additional thing, I found that the three 250 prefixes (948/986/987) were only released by the CRTC 29 April ... I will post the link later.

Hwr778
I'm helpful level 2
I'm helpful level 2

Fresh assignment of a 672 NXX other than NPA testing or plant testing ...

672-888 has been assigned to Fibernetics in the Vancouver rate centre

 

No actual in-service date shows up (using CNAC website), and I no longer have access to my "gray-sourced" LERG-change files ...

 

Trivia note: Fibernetics is the underlying carrier of Fongo/Freephoneline service.  They currently do not have any assignments whatsoever in 236, even though there are available NXX's.  I would assume, that this being 888, it is purely a vanity request, but that is nothing new in this realm.

FidoNick
Former Moderator
Former Moderator

Hey @joelmarc 

 

On May 4, 2019, a new area code, 672, was introduced in the 236, 250, 604, and 778 British Columbia region. This is to make sure there are enough phone numbers to go around in British Columbia.

 

That said, the introduction of the new area code is gradual and the CNA (Canadian Number Administrator) will continue to assign numbers with the 236, 250, 604, and 778 area codes in British Columbia as long as they’re available. Once there are no more numbers available with those area codes, people will have to start using the new area codes.

 

If there are still numbers with the old codes, this may be why there are none available with the new one yet as the change is gradual.

 

I hope this helps.

 

 



Hwr778
I'm helpful level 2
I'm helpful level 2

Hey @FidoNick, just to let you know that all the assignable prefixes in 250, 604 and 778 are all used up.... this is not to say that all the LINE NUMBERS inside those NPA-NXX' s are used up... as I'm sure you know, or could find out, subject to aging, snap-back, holds and reservations, there should be available line numbers in most opened rate centres. 

 

That said, current assignment of new exchanges for BC is solely from the 236 area code at this time, even tho 672 is active. I suspect it won't be too long before there are assignments other than the plant test and new NPA testing numbers

Hwr778
I'm helpful level 2
I'm helpful level 2

Ok, I was wrong ... I admit it -- I stated that 250, 604 and 778 were all full, but I went back and checked, because at the time that 778 was activated (does anyone remember that long ago?), there were 3 protected prefixes (NPA-NXX's) inside 250 that were "saved/set aside" as "PROTECTED" for the smaller (mainly Northern-isolated, anything up past Fort Nelson, provisioned by NWTel(etc) which had older switching equipment, that could potentially NOT handle foreign area codes.

 

These were:

250-948, 250-986 and 250-987.  Flipping back to the www.cnac.ca website (http://cnac.ca/data/COCodeStatus_NPA250.htm in specific), I find that these are now listed as "AVAILABLE".  I remember doing some reading (also on this website) and finding that the switching equipment that they were meant to be available for, has for all intents and purposes either been replaced or upgraded so that any 10D numbers can be homed as local correctly, thereby negating the PROTECTED status that was required.

 

Not sure which carriers will go and swoop in and grab up the precious few 250 exchanges that remain, but they are there, I was wrong, and I have corrected my error! Happy  [with far too much detail for the average layman]

 

Interesting to note, inside each NPA (area code) there are certain NXX's that are not assignable, namely the other overlay ones (236, 250, 604, 672, 778), as well as any N11 codes, 310, 610, 810, 950, 976 and 958/9.  Out of these, I am wondering how long it will be before 950, 958, 959 and 976 will also become assignable, as their usage and initial purpose is now fading.

 

Trivia for phone number buffs, 604-250 IS assigned (Telus Mobility) and it was one of the first prefixes actually assigned for cellular use to what is now Telus Mobility ... I don't have the old records, but 604-220, 230, 240 and 250 were among the first 10 exchanges that were opened up for specifically cellular phones back in the day.  Also interesting to note, around 1990-93, 250-236, which was assigned as a NWTel exchange up in the north, was recovered and preserved as advance planning for the 236 area code we now have.  I think they had to re-assign a whopping total of 14 subscribers to free up that exchange.

Hwr778
I'm helpful level 2
I'm helpful level 2

@Hwr778 wrote:

Also interesting to note, around 1990-93, 250-236, which was assigned as a NWTel exchange up in the north, was recovered and preserved as advance planning for the 236 area code we now have.  I think they had to re-assign a whopping total of 14 subscribers to free up that exchange.

 


I could not figure out how to edit, so I replied to myself --- 250-236 used to be Bearskin Lake, BC, served by NWTel ... it is not listed as "another served locality" if one looks it up in www.localcallingguide.com, so I am not sure what the disposition of the previous people assigned to this rate centre was ...  It is in the same rough geographic area as the former town of Cassiar (abandoned -- actually burnt down as fire fighting practice!).  Cassiar had it's own exchange at one point too, but is now part of Good Hope Lake (250-239).

czg416
I'm a participant level 3
I'm a participant level 3

NWTel shut down the exchange in Bearskin Lake (250-236) in 2004 after the mine there closed down. As far as I know there were no subscribers to move. See https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2004/o2004-432.htm

 

The asbestos mine in Cassiar (250-778) closed in 1992. The asbestos mill was reactivated in 1999 and burned down in 2000. The remaining residents were moved to the Good Hope Lake exchange in 2006.