Telephone numbers in Brazil

In Brazil (country code: 55), the telephone numbering plan uses eight-digit local phone numbers, plus a two-digit area code. Public utility services use three-digit phone numbers.

Local dialing

The format for a local phone number is "nnnn-nnnn", where the first digit identifies the service associated with the phone number:
*2 to 5: fixed phone
*6 to 9: mobile phone

From January to December 2008 the first digit "6" will be replaced (mostly by "2"). The first digit "6" will be used for mobile phones in near future. This change will affect area code "11" (São Paulo city and neighborhood) since it is the only one that currently uses "6" as first digit. This change is effective for all Brazil.

Some localities used a seven-digit local number until 2005, in the format nnn-nnnn. Until the 1990s, there were certain regions with three-digit area codes and five (n-nnnn) or six-digit (nn-nnnn) phone numbers.

Numbers started with 400x, are exclusively used for big corporations and enterprises, for nationalwide (ou in a exclusive area) for phone attendance, or ISP (or private) dial-up service.

Numbers started with 1700, are used by some ISP's with agreement with the Oi Fixo carrier, for internet dial-up access inner all service area of the Oi

Public utility

The format for public utility service phone numbers is "1nn". It includes the emergency services, some of which are:
*100: Human Rights secretary
*128: MERCOSUL emergency services
*190: military police
*191: federal highway patrol
*192: ambulance
*193: firefighters
*194: federal police
*197: civil police
*198: state highway patrol
*199: civil defense

Most citizens only know the 190 (military police) number for emergencies, but 192 (ambulance) 193 (firefighters), 199 (civil defense) are also known.

Distance dialing

The format for a long-distance phone number is "(aa) nnnn-nnnn" or "(0aa) nnnn-nnnn", where "aa" is the area code and "nnnn-nnnn" is the local phone number. Area codes are distributed geographically. See the list of Brazilian area codes for a full list.

To dial a long-distance number within Brazil, you need to use a carrier selection code, to chose which long-distance carrier will be used. It is specified before the area code, so you should dial "0-xx-aa-nnnn-nnnn", where "xx" is the two-digit carrier selection code. Because of that, sometimes long-distance phone numbers are represented as "(0xxaa) nnnn-nnnn", with literal "x" characters as placeholders which the caller will replace a carrier code.

Collect calls

Local collect calls are dialed with the "9090" prefix, so to dial "nnnn-nnnn", you would use "9090-nnnn-nnnn".

For long-distance collect the number 9 is added at the beginning. So to dial "(0aa) nnnn-nnnn" (the xx are not there just because it is the original phone number, i.e. without the additional two-digit carrier selection code), you would use "90-xx-aa-nnnn-nnnn".

When the person answers the telephone, she is warned that she is answering a collect call, and the dialer will be demanded to say his location and name, so the aswerer will be able to know within some non-payd seconds if he knows the caller of not.

Non-geographic numbers

Non-geographic numbers have a three-digit prefix and a seven-digit number. They are usually represented as if the leading "0" prefix were part of the three-digit prefix (like with long-distance numbers), resulting in the format "0ppp-nnn-nnnn".

The currently allocated prefixes are:
* 0300: flat rate calls
* 0303: televoting, charged at local rate
* 0500: premium-rate telephone numbers for donations, with a maximum of R$ 30,00
* 0800: toll-free telephone numbers
* 0900: premium-rate telephone numbers

International calls

Outbound international calls use a "00" prefix, followed by the carrier selection code and the international telephone number. For instance, to call the international telephone number "+cc-aa-nnnn-nnnn", you would use "00-xx-cc-aa-nnnn-nnnn". Since international telephone numbers can have up to 15 digits, the maximum number of digits to be dialed is 19.

Inbound international calls use "+55-aa-nnnn-nnnn" as the international telephone number. This must be preceded by a country-specific international call prefix.

A note about mobile telephony in Brazil

Mobile phone numbers are prefixed with the digit '7', '8' or '9'. '7' is used mainly for radiophone use (iDEN technology), but there is an exception in São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro area (11 and 21 respectively), where CDMA and GSM mobile phones can also start with '7'.

Numbers with an '8' are always GSM Mobiles, while '9' can be mostly analogue (AMPS), TDMA and CDMA mobiles. The prefix number in mobile telephony is related to the license the carrier has. On newer licenses, use of the '8' digit is mandatory, while the previously state-owned mobile operators always uses '9' (or '7', in some cases in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro area). Some GSM mobiles can be prefixed with a '9' because the now privatized operators decided to overlay using this technology.

Mobile phone numbers always have eight digits. Exceptions existed in Brasília until 2005.

Number portability

Beginning September 2008, ANATEL has started the use of number portability in Brazilian territory, but the initial rules of the numbering plan are continued.

References

*pt icon [http://www.anatel.gov.br/biblioteca/resolucao/1998/anexo_res_86_1998.pdf Regulamento de numeração do serviço telefônico fixo comutado]
*pt icon [http://www.anatel.gov.br/biblioteca/atos/2004/ato_43151_2004.pdf Serviços de utilidade pública e de apoio ao STFC]
*pt icon [http://sistemas.anatel.gov.br/sapn/ Sistema de Administração de Plano de Numeração]
*pt icon [http://www.embratel.com.br/Embratel02/cda/portal/0,2997,RE_P_10706,00.html Aviso sobre mudança de numeração no estado de São Paulo]

External links

* [http://www.teleco.com.br/sme.asp Serviço Móvel Especializado (Trunking)]
* [http://www.ucel.com.br/numero.asp Qual é a operadora do celular com este número?]
* [http://bcncb.sites.uol.com.br/ Guia de Numeração Telefônica no Brasil (Brazil Telephone Numbering Guide)]