North american numbering plan administration

The North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) is the organization responsible for the administration of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). Established in 1947, NANPA is a non-profit corporation that oversees the allocation and management of telephone numbers in the United States, Canada, and certain Caribbean territories.

NANPA operates under the authority of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States and Industry Canada (now Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada) in Canada. It is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of representatives from telecommunications companies, regulatory bodies, and other stakeholders.

The NANP is a system of numbering plan for the public switched telephone network (PSTN) serving the United States, Canada, and certain Caribbean territories. It includes the United States, Canada, Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, and parts of the Caribbean.

NANP numbers are ten digits long and are typically formatted as (NXX) NXX-XXXX, where:

• N is any digit from 2 through 9.
• X is any digit from 0 through 9.

The first three digits (NXX) form the area code, and the next three digits (NXX) form the central office code.

Area codes are used to identify a specific geographic region or a specific type of service. NANPA manages the allocation of new area codes and the splitting of existing ones to accommodate growth in telephone usage.

NANPA supports number portability, which allows customers to keep their phone numbers when switching service providers. This service is managed through the Local Number Portability (LNP) Database, which maintains records of all telephone numbers and their associated service providers.

NANPA plays a crucial role in the administration of emergency services numbers, such as 911 in the United States and Canada. It ensures that these numbers are available and accessible to all users within the NANP region.

The country code for the NANP region is +1. When dialing from outside the NANP region, the format is +1 (NXX) NXX-XXXX.

As telecommunications technology continues to evolve, NANPA must adapt to new challenges, such as the integration of mobile and VoIP services, and the increasing demand for telephone numbers. The organization is committed to ensuring the continued reliability and efficiency of the North American numbering system.