Landlines:
Typically have area codes related to geographic locations.
Number length and structure are consistent within a country.
Mobile:
Often start with specific digits or prefixes to distinguish them from landlines.
In many countries, mobile numbers are longer and don't reflect geography.
Mobile number portability (keeping your number when switching carriers) has led to less predictability in prefixes.
Examples:
UK mobile: +44 7XXX XXXXXX
India mobile: +91 9XXXXXXXXX
South Africa mobile: +27 82 XXX XXXX
5. Dialing Prefixes and International Calls
When making international calls, it's not enough to just know the number—you also need to use the correct dialing prefixes.
a) International Call Prefix (IDD)
This is the code you dial to initiate an international call. It varies by country.
USA/Canada: 011
UK: 00
Australia: 0011
So, to call a UK number from the US, you'd dial: 011 44 20 7946 1234
b) Trunk Prefix
A trunk prefix (often 0) is used when lebanon phone number data within a country to indicate long-distance calls.
It's dropped when dialing from outside the country.
Example: UK number 020 7946 1234 becomes +44 20 7946 1234 internationally.
6. Special Number Ranges
Some numbers are not for general use and follow special formats:
Toll-Free Numbers:
USA: 800, 888, 877, etc. → e.g., +1 800 555 1212
UK: 0800
India: 1800
Emergency Numbers:
USA/Canada: 911
UK: 999 or 112
EU: 112
India: 112 (national emergency)
Premium-Rate Numbers:
Used for services like voting, hotlines, etc.
Usually begin with specific prefixes (e.g., 900 in the U.S.).