Comprehensive Guide to Eritrean Phone Numbers

Quick Reference

• Country: Eritrea
• Country Code: +291
• International Prefix: 00
• National Prefix: 0
• Regulatory Body: Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Eritrea

Overview

Discover the intricacies of Eritrea's telephone numbering plan, including formats, dialing procedures, and regulatory insights. This guide is indispensable for telecom professionals, developers, and anyone working with Eritrean phone numbers.

Number Formats

Eritrea employs a closed numbering plan, ensuring consistency across landline, mobile, and special service numbers.

General Number Format

• Format: +291 [Area Code] [Subscriber Number]
• Length: 7 digits (excluding the country code)

Landline Numbers

Landline numbers feature an area code followed by a subscriber number.

• Format: +291 [1-2 Digit Area Code] [5-6 Digit Subscriber Number]
• Examples:
  • +291 1 23456
  • +291 2 123456

Area Codes:

Area Code	Region/City
1	Asmara
2	Other regions

Mobile Numbers

Mobile numbers start with specific prefixes indicating the network provider.

• Format: +291 7XX XXXX
• Examples:
  • +291 721 2345
  • +291 731 6789

Mobile Prefixes:

Prefix	Network Provider
71X	EriTel
72X	EriTel
73X	EriTel

Special Services

Special numbers include toll-free, premium-rate, and emergency services.

• Format: +291 [3 Digit Service Code]
• Examples:
  • +291 123 (Emergency Services)
  • +291 800 (Toll-Free)

Dialing Rules

Domestic Calls

• Landline to Landline: Dial the area code, then the subscriber number.
  • Example: 02 123456
• Landline to Mobile: Dial the mobile prefix, then the subscriber number.
  • Example: 071 2345
• Mobile to Mobile: Directly dial the mobile number.
  • Example: 071 2345

International Calls

• Outgoing: Dial 00, then the country code, area code, and subscriber number.
  • Example: 00 1 202 5550123 (to call the USA)
• Incoming: Dial +291, then the area code and subscriber number.
  • Example: +291 2 123456

Number Portability

Eritrea does not currently support mobile number portability, meaning subscribers cannot retain their numbers when switching providers.

Major Telecom Operators

Eritrea's telecom sector is dominated by EriTel. Below is a list of major operators and their number ranges:

Operator	Number Range
EriTel	71X, 72X, 73X

ITU-T Standards Compliance

Eritrea complies with ITU-T Recommendations E.164 for international numbering plans, ensuring global recognition and standardization.

Number Allocation and Management

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications oversees number allocation and management, ensuring the numbering plan supports Eritrea’s telecom infrastructure.

Technical Restrictions and Special Cases

Golden Numbers

Golden numbers, which are easy-to-remember, may have special allocation rules or fees. They are often auctioned or sold at a premium.

Number Blocking

Number blocking may occur for abuse, fraud, or non-payment, managed by the regulatory authority and telecom operators.

Technical Considerations for Developers

When integrating Eritrean phone numbers into software systems, consider:

• Validation: Use regular expressions for validation.
  • Regex for Landline: /^(\\+291)?[12]\d{5,6}$/
  • Regex for Mobile: /^(\\+291)?7[1-3]\d{4}$/
• Normalization: Strip non-numeric characters and ensure compliance with the E.164 format.
• Formatting: Store numbers consistently, e.g., +291 XXX XXXX.