Phone Numbers in the British Virgin Islands (BVI)
Quick Reference
- Country: British Virgin Islands
- Country Code: +1 284
- International Prefix: 011
- National Prefix: 1
Overview
Discover the comprehensive telephone numbering plan for the British Virgin Islands (BVI). This guide covers phone number structures, dialing procedures, and essential details for telecom professionals, developers, and businesses operating in or with BVI.
Numbering Plan Structure
Country Code
The British Virgin Islands is part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) and uses the country code +1, followed by the area code 284.
Number Structure
Phone numbers in the BVI adhere to the standard NANP format:
- NPA-NXX-XXXX
- NPA: Numbering Plan Area (Area Code) - 284
- NXX: Central Office Code (Exchange Code)
- XXXX: Subscriber Number
Number Lengths
- Total Length: 10 digits (excluding country code)
- Subscriber Number: 7 digits
Special Prefixes
- Toll-Free Numbers: Start with 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, 888
- Premium Rate Numbers: Start with 900
Number Formats
Geographic Numbers
Type | Format | Example |
---|---|---|
Landline | 284 NXX XXXX | 284 494 1234 |
Mobile | 284 NXX XXXX | 284 541 5678 |
Toll-Free | 800 NXX XXXX | 800 234 5678 |
Premium Rate | 900 NXX XXXX | 900 876 5432 |
Regular Expressions
- General Number Format:
^1?(\+1)?284[2-9]\d{6}$
- Toll-Free Numbers:
^1?(\+1)?(800|833|844|855|866|877|888)[2-9]\d{6}$
- Premium Rate Numbers:
^1?(\+1)?900[2-9]\d{6}$
Dialing Procedures
Domestic Calls
- Landline to Landline: Dial
1
+284
+NXX XXXX
- Landline to Mobile: Dial
1
+284
+NXX XXXX
- Mobile to Mobile: Dial
1
+284
+NXX XXXX
- Mobile to Landline: Dial
1
+284
+NXX XXXX
International Calls
- Outgoing: Dial
011
+Country Code
+Area Code
+Local Number
- Incoming: Dial
+1 284
+NXX XXXX
Number Portability
Mobile Number Portability (MNP): Mobile number portability is available in the BVI, allowing subscribers to retain their mobile numbers when switching between service providers.
Major Telecom Operators
The major telecom operators in the British Virgin Islands include:
- Flow BVI
- Digicel BVI
- CCT Global Communications
These operators manage various number ranges under the 284
area code.
ITU-T Recommendations
The telephone numbering system in the British Virgin Islands adheres to the ITU-T Recommendation E.164, which standardizes the format for international telephone numbers.
Number Allocation and Management
Regulatory Body
The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) of the British Virgin Islands is responsible for managing and allocating phone numbers within the territory. The TRC ensures compliance with international standards and oversees number portability and other regulatory matters.
Number Allocation
The TRC allocates number blocks to telecom operators based on demand and availability. Numbers are assigned in blocks of 10,000 to ensure efficient utilization of the numbering resources.
Technical Considerations
For Developers and Systems Administrators
- Validation: Use the provided regular expressions to validate BVI phone numbers in software applications.
- Formatting: Ensure that phone numbers are formatted according to the NANP standards when displaying or storing them.
- Portability: Implement support for mobile number portability if your systems interact with telecom services in the BVI.
For the most up-to-date information on telecommunications regulations in the British Virgin Islands, please consult the official website of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC).