Telephone numbers in Russia
Telephone numbers in Russia are administered by Roskomnadzor, and Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation.[1] Russia's National Numbering Plan (NNP) is a four-level telephone numbering plan with local, zone, country, and international scopes, implementing a closed numbering plan, in which the number of digits of all national significant numbers (NSN) assigned to subscriber telephones is fixed at ten,[2] with three digits for the area code, and a seven-digit subscriber number which includes a zone code of up to two digits. Internationally, Russia participates in the numbering plans of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) provided by recommendations E.164 and E.123, using the telephone country code 7.
.svg.png.webp) Zones of ABC codes by subjects.
The 8XX refers to Sevastopol, the DPR, the LPR, the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Country | Russia |
| Continent | Asia |
| Regulator | Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation |
| Type | Closed |
| NSN length | 10 |
| Format | (ABC) xxx-xx-xx |
| Numbering plan | Russian Federation |
| Last updated | 2016 |
| Access codes | |
| Country code | 7 |
| International access | 8~xx (dial 8, wait for dial tone, and dial international carrier selection code) |
| Long-distance | 8 |
Russia has shared its numbering plan with Kazakhstan, designating two area codes for routing calls to that country. Kazakhstan was assigned an autonomous country code by the ITU, and is in a permissive dialing period until 2025, during which it is permissible to still dial the Russian prefixes.
History
After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the country used an open numbering plan, having a varying number of digits. Local telecommunications regulators had planned to abandon this system by 2009, but postponed the changeover until 2010,[3] later pushed once more until 2012[4] and finally approved for implementation in the period of 2020–2025.[5]
Historically, country code 7 was used as the country calling code for all of the Soviet Union. Following the Soviet break-up, all of its former republics, save for Russia and Kazakhstan, switched to new country codes. Following Abkhazia's unrecognized claim to have seceded from Georgia, Abkhazia switched to the Russian telephone codes 7 840 for landlines and 7 940 for mobile phones, although it still can be reached via the Georgian telephone code 995 44.[6]
Long-distance and international prefixes
The international dialing prefix in Russia is "8~10"—callers dial "8", wait for a tone, and then dial "10", followed by the country code, area code, and number. The long-distance prefix is "8~".[7] Plans exist to change those prefixes to "0" for national and "00" for international dialing,[8] to be implemented by 2020.
Placing long-distance and international calls
For reaching long-distance and international destinations from a fixed line, a subscriber may select from two services: Pre-Select or Hot-Choice. With Pre-Select, the subscriber calls a prescribed free number (8-800-333-0990 for MTT or 8-800-100-2525 RT) and signs up initially for service. They may also sign a statement at the phone company indicating their choice of provider. With this provider, the prefixes and dialing procedures for non-local calls are the ones currently in use.
The default regulation in Moscow is Hot-Choice (not available yet on all exchanges; regional operators apply their own regulation depending on availability). Available operators are:
- Rostelecom[9]
- Interregional TransitTelekom (MTT)[10]
- Golden Telecom (Sovintel (GT))—not active on consumer market[11]
- TransTelekom (TTK)—not active on consumer market[12]
- Orange—not active on consumer market[13]
- Comstar—only active in Moscow[14]
- Arctel—not active on consumer market[15]
- Synterra Media—not active on consumer market[16]
The dialing pattern for Hot-Choice subscribers is different. After dialing "8", the subscriber waits for a tone and then dials the operator code (OC) either for a long-distance call or an international call.
| Operator | Long-distance call code | International call code |
|---|---|---|
| RT | 55 | 10 |
| MTT | 53 | 58 |
| GT | 51 | 56 |
| TTK | 52 | 57 |
| Orange | 54 | 59 |
| Arctel | 21 | 26 |
| Synterra | 22 | 27 |
| Comstar | 23 | 28 |
Dialing pattern
Note: the tone signal after dialing "8" is compulsory on old analog exchanges and optional on digital exchanges.
Calls within a city or region
xxx-xx-xx (exception: Moscow—see below), e.g.:
- 3-45-67
- 22-33-44
- 234-56-78
Local phone numbers in Russia may be made up of five (x-xx-xx), six (xx-xx-xx), or seven (xxx-xx-xx) digits.
Moscow City has three area codes assigned: 495, 498 and 499:
- when calling from any zone to 499: 8 499 xxx-xx-xx
- when calling from any zone to 498: 8 498 xxx-xx-xx
- when calling from any zone to 495: 8 495 xxx-xx-xx
Calls between these codes are local calls and are not charged at long-distance rates.
Calls between cities/regions within Russia
Pre-Selected Operator: 8-tone-ABC xxx-xx-xx (where ABC is the area code)
- e.g. 8 812 234-56-78 (to St. Petersburg)
Hot-Choice Operator selection: 8-tone-OC ABC xxx-xx-xx (where OC is the Operator Code and ABC is the area code)
- e.g. 8-53 812 234-56-78 (to St. Petersburg via MTT)
International calls from Russia
Pre-Selected Operator: 8-tone-10 International number
- e.g. 8-10 44 20 7946-0123 (to London/UK)
Hot-Choice Operator selection: 8-tone-OC International number where OC is the Operator Code
- e.g. 8-58 44 20 7946-0123 (to London/UK via MTT)
Calls from outside Russia
+7 ABC xxx-xx-xx
where ABC is the area code
Area codes
| First digit of code | Routed to |
|---|---|
| 0 | Not used (Reserved for long-distance and international prefix) |
| 1 | Not used (Used to designate the first digit of the number for access to custom and information and reference services organized by operators of networks of fixed zonal, long-distance and international telephone communications) |
| 2 | Reserved (for common usage with Kazakhstan) |
| 3 | Geographic codes |
| 4 | Geographic codes |
| 5 | Reserved |
| 6 | Used for numbers in Kazakhstan[17] |
| 7 | Used for numbers in Kazakhstan[17] |
| 8 | Geographic codes, Toll-Free, and Pay-Line (for common usage with Kazakhstan and Abkhazia) |
| 9 | Mobile, GSM, & Pay-Line (code 940 is for Abkhazia mobiles) |
List of area codes in Russia
The dialing code range 4xx was introduced on 1 December 2005 to replace 0xx, in order to make it possible to adopt the ITU convention of 0 and 00 dialing prefixes for local and international dialing respectively. The old '095' dialing code, along with 19 other Russian area codes starting with '0', expired on 31 January 2006.[18]
On 7 May 2022, following the annexation of Donetsk and Lugansk by Russian forces, the two oblasts were integrated into the Russian numbering plan.
Toll-free & pay-line codes
| Code | Service |
|---|---|
| 800 | FPH: Freephone |
| 862 | FPH: Fixed |
| 801 | AAB: Automatic alternative billing |
| 802 | CCC: Credit card calling |
| 803 | VOT: Televoting |
| 804 | UAN: Universal access number |
| 805 | PCC: Prepaid card calling |
| 806 | ACC: Account card calling |
| 807 | VPN: Virtual private network |
| 808 | UPT: Universal personal Telecommunication |
| 809 | PRM: Premium rate |
| 881–899 | Reserved |
| 900–953 955–969 | Mobile networks |
| 954 | Satellite operators |
| 970 | Telematic services |
| 971 | Data transfer services |
Special numbers (emergencies)
| Number | Service | Old (active) |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | Fire brigade | 01 |
| 102 | Police | 02 |
| 103 | Ambulance | 03 |
| 104 | Gas service | 04 |
| 112 | General emergency | |
| 107 | Directory assistance, Rostelecom | 07 |
| 109 | Directory assistance (free, limited info) | 09 |
| 009 | Directory assistance (pay service, 35 rubles/min.) in Moscow | |
| 100 | Talking clock in Moscow | |
| 115 | Information on electronic government services[19] |
In a press conference in December 2013 Minister of Emergency Situations, Vladimir Puchkov said that the unified system runs in a full pilot mode from 2014 and will fully enter to operational mode in 2016.[20]
Notes
References
- "Powers of Roskomnadzor". Retrieved 2023-03-08.
- "Russian Federation National Numbering Plan" (PDF). ITU. 2022-03-04. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
- К 2010 г. Россия дойдет до нулей Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine
- Выход по телефону на межгород через "8" сохранится до конца 2012 г. Archived 2011-07-24 at the Wayback Machine
- Latest edit of government regulation for Russian Telephone plan Archived 2017-12-01 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian)
- Abkhazia remains available by Georgian phone codes, today.az, 2010-01-06, archived from the original on 2012-07-12, retrieved 2010-01-20
- The symbol "~" indicates a pause to wait for a beep, however, on modern digital PBX, you can not wait for a beep, but immediately dial a number starting with "810" or "+".
- Russian numbering plan Archived 2017-12-01 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian), approved on 25 April 2017
- Rostelekom Archived 2013-07-29 at the Wayback Machine
- Mezhregionalnyi TranzitTelekom Archived 2014-06-25 at the Wayback Machine
- Golden Telecom Archived 2008-09-25 at the Wayback Machine
- TransTelekom Archived 2003-07-21 at the Wayback Machine
- Orange Archived 2007-11-18 at the Wayback Machine
- "Comstar". Archived from the original on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
- "Arctel". arctel.ru. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- Synterra Archived 2010-11-30 at the Wayback Machine
- International Telecom Union - Kazakhstan - Administration of the Republic of Kazakhstan (PDF), 2012-11-13, archived (PDF) from the original on 2012-09-07, retrieved 2014-06-12
- "Москва лишилась кода "095"". lenta.ru. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- "Russia offers e-govt line over mobile networks". www.telecompaper.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- "Система единого вызова экстренных служб "112" полностью заработает в России в 2016 году — Пучков". Tass Telecom. Archived from the original on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
