Telephone numbers in Australia


Telephone numbers in Australia are administered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority under delegation by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts. The Telecommunications Act 1997 in subsection 455 defines a legislative instrument. This instrument is the Telecommunications Numbering Plan 2025, which defines the format, numerical allocation and use of number ranges.

Overview

For landline telephony, Australia is geographically divided into four areas, three of which comprise more than one state or territory. All local telephone numbers within the four areas have eight digits, consisting of a four-digit exchange code and a four-digit local line number. The national significant number consists of a single-digit area code followed by the local eight-digit number, a total of nine digits. Calling within Australia a landline telephone in an area other than that of the caller, the telephone number is preceded by the Australian trunk prefix 0 and the area code: 0x xxxx xxxx. In this context, the trunk code is typically incorporated into the area code domestically.
  • 00 – International and Emergency access
  • 01 – Alternative phone services
  • *014 – Satellite phones
  • *0151 – Public safety service
  • *0163 – Pager numbers
  • *0198 – Data numbers
  • 02 – Geographic: Central East region
  • 03 – Geographic: South-east region
  • 04 – Digital Mobile services
  • 0550 – Location Independent Communication Services
  • 07 – Geographic: North-east region
  • 08 – Geographic: Central and West region
  • 09 – Internet of things service
  • 1 – Non-geographic numbers
The current numbering plan would appear to be sufficient to cope with potential increase in demand for services for quite some time to come. Area code 06 is unused. In addition, each other area code has large number ranges unallocated.
When dialling from outside Australia, after dialling the appropriate international access code, the country code for Australia is 61, which is followed by the nine-digit national significant number. Some numbers beginning with a 1 may be dialled without any replacement, after dialling the required international access code and the country code.
Australian local telephone numbers have eight digits, conventionally written in the form xxxx xxxx. Mobile numbers are written in the form of ten digits. When dialed within Australia, the 0 must be included, and 4, which indicates the service required is a mobile number. Mobile numbers are conventionally written 04xx xxx xxx. If a landline or mobile number is written where it may be viewed by an international audience then the number is often written as +61 x xxxx xxxx or +61 4xx xxx xxx respectively.
The Australian national trunk access code, 0, is not used for calls originated from locations outside Australia.

Fixed-line telephone numbers

Within Australia, dialing a number in another area requires dialing the trunk code 0, followed by the area code, and then the local number.
In major centres, the first four digits specify the CCA, and the remaining digits specify a number at that exchange, up to 10,000 of which may be connected. Smaller exchanges in more remote areas may have fewer than hundred connected numbers.
To access numbers in the same area, it is necessary to dial only the eight digits concerned. To access a number in another area it is first necessary to dial the trunk code of 0, followed by the area code and then the specific local number.
Area code boundaries do not follow state/territory boundaries precisely. Notable are the part of New South Wales around Broken Hill 80xx numbers, and Wodonga, which is in Victoria but is within the New South Wales area code. Similarly, New South Wales border towns including Deniliquin and Buronga are within the Southeast area code, and Tweed Heads within the Northeast area code. Physical exchanges can be allocated one or more prefixes and modern technology allows sub-sets of these number ranges to be allocated to switching entities located at a distance from the exchange in which their controlling terminal is located.
Landlines use a dialing plan that makes dialing of the area code optional for calls with the same area code for the caller and the destination.

Mobile phones

Within Australia, mobile phone numbers begin with 04 – the Australian national trunk code 0, plus the mobile indicator 4 – followed by eight digits. This is generally written as 04XX XXX XXX within Australia, or as +61 4XX XXX XXX for an international audience. This format is the result of mobile carriers advertising numbers in such a way so as to clearly identify the owning telco prior to mobile number portability, introduced on 25 September 2001. Prior to MNP, mobile operators generally reserved number ranges in blocks of 04 xy z.
The xy-digit codes are allocated per network. Since the introduction of number portability, there is no longer a fixed relationship between the mobile phone number and the network it uses.
In 2015, prefix 05 was also reserved for digital mobile phones as a part of the Telecommunications Numbering Plan 2015. However, as of 2024 no numbers have been allocated with this prefix.
Within Australia, mobile numbers must always be dialed with all ten digits, regardless of the caller's location.

Geographic numbers

Geographical areas are identified by the area code and the first few digits of the local number. The codes include the trunk prefix for long-distance calling.

Central-East region (02)