El Salvador Phone Numbers: Format, Area Code & Validation Guide

This guide provides a deep dive into El Salvador's phone number system, offering you, the developer, the essential information you need for seamless integration with your applications and services. We'll cover everything from basic formatting and dialing procedures to regulatory compliance and best practices.

Understanding El Salvador's Dialing System

El Salvador employs a streamlined 8-digit closed numbering plan. This simplified system, unlike those in some neighboring countries, does away with traditional area codes for domestic calls, creating a consistent experience for users across the country. This elegant design makes it remarkably straightforward to implement in software, as you'll see in the sections that follow.

Local Calling Procedures

Calling within El Salvador is remarkably simple, thanks to the unified numbering system. Whether you're calling from San Salvador, Santa Ana, or any other location within the country, the process remains the same.

• Direct 8-digit dialing: You only need to dial the 8-digit subscriber number to connect with any landline or mobile phone within El Salvador. This eliminates the need for remembering and inputting varying area codes, simplifying the user experience and your development process.
• Universal format: The consistent 8-digit format applies nationwide, ensuring predictable behavior for your applications regardless of the caller's or recipient's location.
• Instant connectivity: No carrier selection codes or additional prefixes are required, streamlining the dialing process and reducing call setup time.

Best Practice: When developing applications for El Salvador, always validate user input to ensure a full 8-digit number is entered. This proactive approach prevents invalid call attempts and enhances the reliability of your system.

Mobile Number Portability (MNP)

El Salvador, through the regulatory oversight of SIGET (Superintendencia General de Electricidad y Telecomunicaciones), has implemented Mobile Number Portability (MNP). This allows users to retain their existing mobile number even when switching service providers. This is a crucial detail for you as a developer, as it impacts how you might identify carriers based on number prefixes.

• Key Benefits for Users:

  • Retention of Existing Number: Users can keep their familiar number, avoiding the hassle of notifying contacts about a change.
  • Seamless Transition: The porting process is designed to minimize service interruption, ensuring a smooth switch between carriers.
  • Increased Competition: MNP fosters a more competitive market, leading to better service offerings and pricing for consumers.

• Implementation Timeline (General): While the specifics might vary slightly between carriers, the general MNP process involves these steps:

  1. Request Submission: The user submits a porting request to their current carrier.
  2. Verification Period: A verification period, typically 24-48 hours, allows for processing and validation.
  3. Technical Transition: The technical transfer of the number usually occurs overnight to minimize disruption.
  4. Service Activation: The number becomes active with the new carrier.

Developer Considerations: Because users can retain numbers across carriers, relying solely on prefixes to identify the carrier is no longer reliable. You might need to incorporate additional data sources or APIs to accurately determine carrier information.

Carrier Ecosystem

El Salvador's telecommunications market is primarily served by three major carriers: Tigo, Claro, and Movistar. Each carrier offers a range of services and support options.

Understanding Market Share: Tigo, Claro, and Movistar hold significant market shares, with smaller players accounting for the remaining portion. This distribution can inform your development priorities and testing strategies. For example, you might prioritize testing with SIM cards from these major carriers to ensure broad compatibility.

International Calling

Connecting with El Salvador from other countries requires specific dialing formats. Understanding these formats is crucial for implementing international calling features in your applications.

• Outbound International Calls (from El Salvador):
  Format: 00 + Country Code + Number
  Example: 00 1 212 555 0123 (calling New York)
  
• Inbound International Calls (to El Salvador):
  Format: [Caller's International Prefix] + 503 + Local Number
  Example: 011 503 2200 1234 (from US to El Salvador landline)
  

As highlighted in a resource on calling El Salvador from the U.S., the plus sign (+) before the country code indicates the need for the caller's country exit code. For instance, when calling from the U.S., you would replace the "+" with "011".

Important Note: Some countries may have specific dialing variations. Always consult up-to-date international dialing resources for accurate information.

Special Service Numbers

El Salvador uses specific prefixes for special services, such as toll-free numbers and premium-rate lines.

• Toll-Free (800): Used for customer service and support lines. Format: 800XXXXXXX
• Premium Rate (900): Used for pay-per-call services. Format: 900XXXXXXX
• Special Services (801/802): Used for technical support and government services. Format: 80[1-2]XXXXXXX

Validation: When handling user input, ensure your system correctly identifies and processes these special service numbers.

Technical Implementation Guide

This section provides practical guidance for integrating El Salvador's phone number system into your applications.

Pre-Implementation Checklist

Before you begin development, consider these essential steps:

• Carrier Compatibility: Verify compatibility with the major carriers in El Salvador (Tigo, Claro, Movistar).
• Number Portability Considerations: Implement logic to handle number portability, recognizing that prefixes alone may not reliably identify carriers.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensure your implementation adheres to SIGET regulations. This includes understanding and complying with type approval requirements for any equipment used. As noted by LARCG, SIGET requires approval for devices using radio frequencies, including RFID, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.

Validation Framework

Robust number validation is crucial for ensuring data integrity and preventing errors.

// Example validation regex for El Salvador numbers
const validateSVNumber = (number) => {
  const cleanedNumber = number.replace(/\D/g, ''); // Remove non-digits
  const pattern = /^[267][0-9]{7}$/;
  return pattern.test(cleanedNumber);
}

// Example test cases
console.log(validateSVNumber("22001234")); // true - Valid landline
console.log(validateSVNumber("71234567")); // true - Valid mobile
console.log(validateSVNumber("8001234567")); // false - Toll-free numbers require different handling
console.log(validateSVNumber("+50322001234")); // true - Handles international format
console.log(validateSVNumber("invalid")); // false - Invalid input

Explanation and Potential Pitfalls: This regex validates standard 8-digit landline and mobile numbers. It handles numbers starting with 2 (landline), 6, or 7 (mobile). It also removes non-digit characters, allowing for flexible input formats. However, it does not validate special service numbers or international formats directly. You'll need to adapt your validation logic to handle these cases separately. For instance, toll-free numbers (800) have a different length and should be handled accordingly.

Best Practices for System Integration

• Real-time Number Validation: Implement real-time validation during user input to provide immediate feedback and prevent invalid data from entering your system.
• Updated Carrier Routing Tables: Maintain up-to-date routing tables to ensure calls are correctly directed, especially considering the impact of number portability.
• Monitor SIGET Regulatory Updates: Stay informed about regulatory changes from SIGET that might affect your implementation. For example, recent SIGET resolutions have opened the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use, potentially impacting Wi-Fi 6E deployments.
• Comprehensive Documentation: Document all implementation decisions, including validation logic, routing configurations, and compliance considerations.

Number Format Architecture

El Salvador's unified, closed numbering plan simplifies number management through consistent 8-digit formatting.

Core Number Structure

[Country Code: +503] [Service Prefix] [Subscriber Number]

The service prefix identifies the type of number:

Key Advantages of this Structure:

• Simplified Validation: The consistent length simplifies validation procedures.
• Unified Processing: Streamlined handling for all telecommunications services.
• Enhanced Accuracy: Clear distinction between service types through prefix allocation.

Conclusion

This guide has provided you with a comprehensive overview of El Salvador's phone number system. By understanding the nuances of formatting, dialing procedures, and regulatory considerations, you can confidently integrate this system into your applications and provide a seamless experience for your users. Remember to stay updated on regulatory changes from SIGET and adapt your implementations accordingly.