Expansion of Non-Geographic Numbering Resources Available in Canada

On September 2^nd, the CRTC released Telecom Decision CRTC 2025-224 concerning the availability of telephone number blocks for non-voice services like machine-to-machine communications and Internet of Things applications, which are not linked to a specific geographic region, hereinafter referred to as “non-geographic number resources”.  Without further solutions, it was forecast that Canada would run out of non-geographic number resources.

In this decision, the CRTC provided some short-term relief by allowing the Canadian Numbering Administrator to provide carriers with access to 768 “CO Codes” in Area Code 600 as assignable non-geographic resources, with each CO code representing a block of ten thousand numbers in the format of a regular telephone number.  This change will make 7.68 million additional telephone numbers available for machine-to-machine and other non-geographic applications.

Central Office (CO) Codes, sometimes referred to as NXXs, are the digits D-E-F of the 1+10-digit North American Numbering Plan (NANP) area address. In the NANP, each digit is identified by an alphabetical character in the order ABC DEF GHIJ. The NANP structure consists of a 3-digit NPA or Area Code (ABC), 3-digit CO Code (DEF) and 4-digit Line Number (GHIJ) in the format NXX NXX XXXX where: N = 2 to 9 and X = 0 to 9.

In addition, the decision eliminated the previous restrictions on having CO codes for non-geographic number resources with the digits 555 and N11 codes 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711, and 811.   Removing current restrictions on the use of N11 codes as CO codes and on the use of CO code 555 will make eight additional CO codes available within each of the six 6YY area codes (i.e., 480,000 additional telephone numbers).

Both of the above changes are expected to provide only a short-term solution for the Canadian telecommunications industry and their customers.

Furthermore, the CRTC mandated that Area Codes 677 and 688 be set aside for future implementation of an expanded numbering format of either 1+12 digit or 1+14 digit numbers (as opposed to the current 1+10 digit format.  Should this change happen, it will provide longer-term relief for the Canadian industry.  Further details on such number expansion remain to be determined.