Area code 246 is the telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for Barbados.[1] The sequence 246 spells BIM on an alpha-numeric telephone keypad, a nickname for the island.[2]
Telecommunication services and telephone numbers in Barbados are administered by the Ministry of Finance, Investment, Telecommunications and Energy (MFIE) of the Government of Barbados.[3]
As a member of the North American Numbering Plan, Barbados uses telephone country code 1 for inbound routing of international calls. The telephone number format consists of the three-digit area code, the three-digit central office prefix and the local four-digit line or station number. Dialing procedures within the country and abroad comform to NANP standards. Thus, Barbados telephone numbers are quoted per International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Recommendation E.123 in the style +1 246 NXX-XXXX for international use.[4]
In 1958, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) assigned area code 809 for use by all affiliated telephone administrations in Bermuda and the Caribbean islands. Between 1995 and 1999, the numbering plan area was divided, and new area codes were assigned to individual administrations. Area code 246 was assigned to Barbados in 1995. The area code was in effect from 1 July 1996, and a permissive dialing period extended to 15 January 1997,[5] at which time all calls placed to Barbados required the new area code.
When placing a call within Barbados, callers use seven-digit dialling (i.e. dialling the last seven digits of the national telephone number). Unlike in some other Caribbean islands, most residential landline subscribers have unlimited/un-metered rates for calling other local landlines.
Though usually toll-free when dialled from the US, not all 1-800, 1-888, 1-877, or 1-866 are toll-free when being dialled from Barbados, and may be treated as a toll call. If the number is not toll-free a recording gives directions for placing a fee based call.
Police Force: 211, Ambulance: 511, Fire: 311
Information/Directory Assistance: 411
Operator: 0
In the NANP telephone format 1 NPA NXX XXXX, the central office codes fall in the position of NXX. In 1996 the following central office numbering plan was established by the incumbent local exchange carrier.[6]
| Location (By parish or central office) | Numbers | |
|---|---|---|
| Christ Church | 418, 420, 428 | |
| Grazettes | 417, 421, 424, 425, 438 | |
| St. James | 432 | |
| St. John | 433 | |
| St. Lucy | 439 | |
| St. Philip | 423 | |
| Telebarbados | 620-629 | |
| Special services | 978 | |
| Speightstown | 419, 422 | |
| Windsor Lodge | 228, 426, 427, 429, 430, 431, 434, 435, 436, 437 | |
| Cellular | 230 | |
| Spare | 220 |
Following liberalisation of the telecommunications industry in Barbados, various central office codes were implemented for local mobile carriers. The following central offices were outlined in 2004 by the Minister of Energy and Public Utilities.[7] In most cases Barbados numbers beginning with the following central office codes do not permit incoming collect calls. This list was updated to include allocations for Ozone Wireless from 2014.
| Digicel | Liberty Latin America (formerly bMobile, C&W, LIME) | Ozone | Sunbeach | Ace Communications International Telephony | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 258, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268, 269, 820, 821, 822, 823, 824, 825, 826, 827, 828, 829 | 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254 | 695, 696, 697 | 450, 451, 452, 453, 454, 455, 456, 457, 458, 459 | 776, 777, 778, 223 | |
310 - 359[8]
Other landline central office codes which have been activated include the following:
227, 228, 229, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 292, 367, 410, 412, 414, 415, 416, 417, 418, 419, 420, 421, 422, 423, 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, 430, 431, 432, 433, 434, 435, 436, 437, 438, 439, 736, 737, 753, 757, 958, 976