Telephone numbers in Hong Kong are mostly eight-digit. Fixed land line numbers start with 2 or 3, mobile (cellular) phone numbers with 5, 6, 7 or 9, pager numbers with 7 and forwarding service with 8[citation needed]. Since the end of 1989, there have been no area codes within Hong Kong.
The telephone number for emergency services – Police, Fire Service and Ambulance – is 999 for all telephone lines. These numbers can also be used for mobile and other users:
992 – fax on fixed line, SMS on mobile phones (for subscribers with disabilities)
Some special numbers are three- to five-digit. Some premium rate services, for example for games and adult contents, are 11-digit. Numbers beginning with '1' are usually reserved for carrier/operator services. These services are provided by the individual telephone carrier. In general, these numbers can be used across all carriers:
Directory services can be reached at 1081 (English), 1083 (Cantonese) and 1088 (Mandarin)
Time and temperature information can be reached at 18501 (English), 18503 (Cantonese) and 18508 (Mandarin)
The international call prefix varies depending on IDD provider, however 001 works on all phone lines and uses the IDD service provided by the same carrier as the telephone line that 001 call is dialed from. During the years of telephone monopoly, the International call prefix was 106 (through 1980s) and then 001. Calls to Macau and mainland China are international. Calls from Hong Kong to other parts of China include that regions separate country code:
The present structure and format of telephone numbers in Hong Kong according to the Hong Kong Telecom Service Numbering Scheme, is as follows (the first digits of the telephone number is used as follows):[1]
001 - International long-distance voice service access code
002 - International long-distance fax / data service access code
003 to 009 - International gateway access code
100xxxx to 107xxxx - Inquiry / hotline / operator-assisted service
1081 - Directory Services in English
1083 - Directory Services in Cantonese
1088 - Directory Services in Mandarin
109 - Telephone repair
112 - Emergency Calls (Mobile Phones only, redirects to 999)
115 to 118 - International Routing Network Identification Number
12xxxxx - Inquiry / hotline / operator-assisted service
133 - Enable the Restricted Caller ID feature
1357 - Cancel the "Caller ID Restrictions" feature
14 - Network identification number
15 to 16 - External telecommunications service access code
There was no standard trunk prefix like '0' – only the area code and phone number were dialed when calling from one area code to another. Thus the Kowloon number xxx-xxx would have been dialed as follows:
xxx-xxx – from within Kowloon
3 xxx-xxx – from Hong Kong Island or New Territories
+852 3 xxx-xxx – from the rest of the world
1980s
In the mid-1980s, 6-digit numbers starting with '0' became 7-digit numbers starting with '71', making way for subsequent change of the New Territories prefix from '12' to '0'.
0xxxxx became 71xxxxx
Fixed-line phone numbers were either six- or seven-digit in the 1980s. Area codes were assigned with the following patterns.
3 Kowloon, New Kowloon, Ha Kwai Chung and Sai Kung
5 Hong Kong Island and Outlying Islands
0 New Territories
Cellular phone numbers are all eight-digit starting with '9'.
Easy Dialling Day
On 30 December 1989, area codes were abolished.[3] Six-digit numbers in the New Territories were changed to replace the initial 8 with 46, followed by five digits; area codes for six-digit numbers in the other areas became part of subscriber's numbers. Area codes for seven-digit numbers were simply removed. Some six-digit numbers had the first digit changed to two digits to make a seven-digit number.
(3) xxx xxx became 3xx xxxx
(3) 7xx xxxx became 7xx xxxx
(5) xxx xxx became 5xx xxxx
(5) Nxx xxxx became Nxx xxxx (N = 8 or 9)
(0) 8xx xxx became 46x xxxx
(0) Nxx xxxx became Nxx xxxx (N = 4 or 6)
1990s
On January 1, 1995,[4] a '2' was prefixed to all fixed line (land line) numbers which are now eight-digit. A '7' was prefixed to existing pager service numbers.
xxx xxxx became 2xxx xxxx
11xx xxx became 711xx xxx
11xx xxxxx became 7xx xxxxx
9xxx xxxx remain unchanged
Since 2000s
Before the introduction of portable fixed line numbers, numbers were assigned in a pattern akin to districts. For example, in addition to the existing 3, 5 and 0 prefixes, a 4 prefix was used for Tuen Mun and Yuen Long, 6 for Tai Po and Sha Tin, and 8 for Hong Kong Island.
Numbers starting with '3' were introduced when '2' for fixed lines started running out. Cell phone numbers remain eight-digit. The number '6' started to be used when numbers started with '9' were running out. In May 2008, cellular phone numbers with '5' as the beginning were also introduced.
Due to numerous phone scams spoofing local telephone numbers, calls started from outside Hong Kong using a local number now show the Hong Kong prefix +852 before the phone numbers in Caller ID.[5]
^Daryanani, Renu. Hong Kong 1995: A review of 1994. Hong Kong: Government Printing Department. p. 360. ISBN9789620201547.
^Office of the Communications Authority. . www.ofca.gov.hk. Archived from the original on 2021-03-24. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
ITU allocation list
"The Numbering Plan for Telecommunications Services in Hong Kong". Office of the Communications Authority, Hong Kong. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
January 13, 2023
telephone, numbers, hong, kong, this, article, possibly, contains, original, research, please, improve, verifying, claims, made, adding, inline, citations, statements, consisting, only, original, research, should, removed, december, 2019, learn, when, remove, . This article possibly contains original research Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations Statements consisting only of original research should be removed December 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message Telephone numbers in Hong Kong are mostly eight digit Fixed land line numbers start with 2 or 3 mobile cellular phone numbers with 5 6 7 or 9 pager numbers with 7 and forwarding service with 8 citation needed Since the end of 1989 there have been no area codes within Hong Kong Hong Kong telephone numbersLocation of Hong KongLocationCountryHong KongContinentAsiaRegulatorCommunications AuthorityTypeClosedFormat 852 XXXX XXXX Mobile phone and fixed line numbers Access codesCountry calling code 852International call prefix001Trunk prefixnoneThe telephone number for emergency services Police Fire Service and Ambulance is 999 for all telephone lines These numbers can also be used for mobile and other users 992 fax on fixed line SMS on mobile phones for subscribers with disabilities 112 mobile phonesSome special numbers are three to five digit Some premium rate services for example for games and adult contents are 11 digit Numbers beginning with 1 are usually reserved for carrier operator services These services are provided by the individual telephone carrier In general these numbers can be used across all carriers Directory services can be reached at 1081 English 1083 Cantonese and 1088 Mandarin Time and temperature information can be reached at 18501 English 18503 Cantonese and 18508 Mandarin The international call prefix varies depending on IDD provider however 001 works on all phone lines and uses the IDD service provided by the same carrier as the telephone line that 001 call is dialed from During the years of telephone monopoly the International call prefix was 106 through 1980s and then 001 Calls to Macau and mainland China are international Calls from Hong Kong to other parts of China include that regions separate country code Macau 853 xxxx xxxx Mainland China 86 area code xxxx xxxxContents 1 Present numbering scheme and format 2 Telephone exchanges in Hong Kong 3 Historical numbering scheme and area codes 3 1 1970s 3 2 1980s 3 3 Easy Dialling Day 3 4 1990s 3 5 Since 2000s 4 See also 5 ReferencesPresent numbering scheme and format EditThe present structure and format of telephone numbers in Hong Kong according to the Hong Kong Telecom Service Numbering Scheme is as follows the first digits of the telephone number is used as follows 1 001 International long distance voice service access code 002 International long distance fax data service access code 003 to 009 International gateway access code 100xxxx to 107xxxx Inquiry hotline operator assisted service 1081 Directory Services in English 1083 Directory Services in Cantonese 1088 Directory Services in Mandarin 109 Telephone repair 112 Emergency Calls Mobile Phones only redirects to 999 115 to 118 International Routing Network Identification Number 12xxxxx Inquiry hotline operator assisted service 133 Enable the Restricted Caller ID feature 1357 Cancel the Caller ID Restrictions feature 14 Network identification number 15 to 16 External telecommunications service access code 17xxxxx Operator assisted service 1801x PPS Payment by Phone Service 2 1803x PPS Payment by Phone Service 18060x PPS Payment by Phone Service 1808 International calls search service 181 Helpdesk Hotline 182xxxx High traffic telephone line 182182 Employees Retraining Board 1823 Hong Kong SAR Government Efficiency Unit 18281 Tung Wah Group of Hospitals 18282 The Community Chest of Hong Kong 18288 Caritas Family Services 183xxxx High traffic telephone line 184xx Hong Kong Jockey Club 18501 Time and temperature information service in English 18503 Time and temperature information service in Cantonese 18508 Time and temperature information service in Mandarin 186xxxx High traffic telephone lines 186000 Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR 186111 GovWiFi help desk 186131 Security Bureau Government of the Hong Kong SAR 186186 Anti Narcotics Division Security Bureau Government of the Hong Kong SAR 1868 Immigration Department of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR assistance to Hong Kong residents in distress 187xxxx High traffic telephone lines 18713xx Macau phone gambling Telebet 1872xxx Radio station listener calls live program hotline 1878xxx Public service fundraising accidental death inquiries 1879xxx Public service charity hotline 1880 Hong Kong Jockey Club Customer Service 1881 to 1889 Hong Kong Jockey Club phone gambling Telebet 189 Disaster Response Disaster Recovery 19 Test code routing code 200 Telephone card access code 201xxxxx to 206xxxxx Fixed line telephone 207 208 209 Telephone card access code 21xxxxxx to 29xxxxxx Fixed line telephone 28088000 to 28088099 Telephone card access code 3000xxx Number Conversion Equipment 301xxxxx to 304xxxxx Non external telecommunications services 305xxxxx to 309xxxxx External telecommunications services 31xxxxxx Fixed line telephone 34xxxxxx to 39xxxxxx Fixed line telephone 4xxxxxxxxxxx Network number 504 505 507 508 509 SMS Multimedia value added services 51xxxxxx to 57xxxxxx Mobile phone number 58xxxxxx Class 2 Service such as voice over IP 59xxxxxx Mobile phone number 6xxxxxxx Mobile phone number 7xxxxxxx Mobile phone number amp pager number 800xxxxxx Toll free telephone number 81xxxxxx to 83xxxxxx Personal number service 900xxxxxxxx Information service 901xxxxx to 989xxxxx Mobile phone number 990 to 998 Emergency services routing 999 Emergency number Police Fire service and Ambulance Telephone exchanges in Hong Kong EditAberdeen 6 Wong Chuk Hang Road Castle Peak Bay 138 Castle Peak Road Castle Peak Bay Chai Wan 13 15 Cheung Lee Street near Kut Shing Street Chek Lap Kok 1 Chun Ming Rd Chek Lap Kok Cheung Chau 31 Cheung Chau Sports Road Cheung Sha 57A Cheung Sha Lantau Island Clearwater Bay East Telephone Exchange Tower 38 Clearwater Bay Road Causeway Bay East Telephone Exchange Tower 38 Leighton Road Causeway Bay Fanling 21 Lok Yip Road Fo Tan 32 34 Shan Mei Street Fortress Hill 14 Fortress Hill Road Ha Hang 101 Ting Kok Road Ho Man Tin 43 Sheung Shing St Ho Man Tin Hung Hom 140 Gillies Avenue North Kennedy Town 14 Smithfield Road Sai Wan Kowloon City 28 Lung Kong Road Kowloon Tong 1 Kam Shing Road Kwai Chung Kwok Shui Road near Fu Uk Road Kwai Shing 298 Kwai Shing Circuit Kwai Chung Kwun Tong 408 Kwun Tong Road Lai Chi Kok 2 Yuet Lun Street Lamma Island 70A Po Wah Yuen Lamma Island Lau Fau Shan 13 Lau Fau Shan Road Ma On Shan 20 On Shing Street Mong Kok 37 Bute Street Mong Kok Kowloon Ngau Tam Mei 388 Castle Peak Road Tam Mi Ngau Tau Kok 7 Siu Yip St Kowloon Bay North Point 511 King s Road Peng Chau 5 Nam Shan Road Peng Chau Ping Che 2 Ping Che Road Repulse Bay 6 beach road Repulse Bay Sai Kung 66 Man Nin Street Sha Tin 14 16 Man Lai Road Tai Wai Sham Shui Po 330 Cheung Sha Wan Road Sham Tseng 44 Castle Peak Road Sham Tseng Shau Kei Wan 17 Sun Sing Street Shek Kip Mei 41 Wai Chi Street Shek O 185 Shek O Village Sheung Shui 88 98 Jockey Club Road Sheung Wan West Exchange Tower 322 Des Voeux Road Central Sheung Wan Siu Lek Yuen 18 Siu Lek Yuen Road Stanley 36 Stanley Village Road Tai Hing 6 Shek Pai Tau Rd Tuen Mun Tai Kok Tsui 663 Shanghai Street Mong Kok Tai Po 30 Kwong Fuk Square Tai Po Tai Po 5 On Po Lane Tai Po Tin Shui Wai 8 Tin Pak Rd Tin Shui Wai Tsing Yi 12 Chung Mei Rd Tsing Yi Tsuen Wan 303 Castle Peak Road Tsuen Wan Tseung Kwan O 22 Wan Lung Road Tseung Kwan O Tuen Mun 1 Hing On Lane Tung Chung 12 Cheung Tung Rd Tung Chung Wan Chai 44 46 Wood Road Wan Chai Lockhart Telephone Exchange Tower 3 Hennessy Road Wan Chai Wong Tai Sin 19 Muk Lun Street Wong Tai Sin Yau Ma Tei 524A Nathan Road Yau Tong 6 Tseung Kwan O Road Lam Tin Yuen Long 170 184 Kau Yuk Road Yuen LongHistorical numbering scheme and area codes Edit1970s Edit In the 1970s area codes were assigned with the following pattern 3 Kowloon New Kowloon Ha Kwai Chung and Sai Kung 5 Hong Kong Island and Outlying Islands 12 New TerritoriesThere was no standard trunk prefix like 0 only the area code and phone number were dialed when calling from one area code to another Thus the Kowloon number xxx xxx would have been dialed as follows xxx xxx from within Kowloon 3 xxx xxx from Hong Kong Island or New Territories 852 3 xxx xxx from the rest of the world1980s Edit In the mid 1980s 6 digit numbers starting with 0 became 7 digit numbers starting with 71 making way for subsequent change of the New Territories prefix from 12 to 0 0xxxxx became 71xxxxxFixed line phone numbers were either six or seven digit in the 1980s Area codes were assigned with the following patterns 3 Kowloon New Kowloon Ha Kwai Chung and Sai Kung 5 Hong Kong Island and Outlying Islands 0 New TerritoriesCellular phone numbers are all eight digit starting with 9 Easy Dialling Day Edit On 30 December 1989 area codes were abolished 3 Six digit numbers in the New Territories were changed to replace the initial 8 with 46 followed by five digits area codes for six digit numbers in the other areas became part of subscriber s numbers Area codes for seven digit numbers were simply removed Some six digit numbers had the first digit changed to two digits to make a seven digit number 3 xxx xxx became 3xx xxxx 3 7xx xxxx became 7xx xxxx 5 xxx xxx became 5xx xxxx 5 Nxx xxxx became Nxx xxxx N 8 or 9 0 8xx xxx became 46x xxxx 0 Nxx xxxx became Nxx xxxx N 4 or 6 1990s Edit On January 1 1995 4 a 2 was prefixed to all fixed line land line numbers which are now eight digit A 7 was prefixed to existing pager service numbers xxx xxxx became 2xxx xxxx 11xx xxx became 711xx xxx 11xx xxxxx became 7xx xxxxx 9xxx xxxx remain unchangedSince 2000s Edit Before the introduction of portable fixed line numbers numbers were assigned in a pattern akin to districts For example in addition to the existing 3 5 and 0 prefixes a 4 prefix was used for Tuen Mun and Yuen Long 6 for Tai Po and Sha Tin and 8 for Hong Kong Island Numbers starting with 3 were introduced when 2 for fixed lines started running out Cell phone numbers remain eight digit The number 6 started to be used when numbers started with 9 were running out In May 2008 cellular phone numbers with 5 as the beginning were also introduced Due to numerous phone scams spoofing local telephone numbers calls started from outside Hong Kong using a local number now show the Hong Kong prefix 852 before the phone numbers in Caller ID 5 See also EditCommunications in Hong Kong Telephone numbers in Macau Telephone numbering planReferences Edit The Numbering Plan for Telecommunications Services in Hong Kong SAR 香港電訊服務 號碼計劃 PDF Communications Authority retrieved 3 December 2016 Internet PPS 關於我們 1989 Hong Kong Telephone Easy Dialling Day Daryanani Renu Hong Kong 1995 A review of 1994 Hong Kong Government Printing Department p 360 ISBN 9789620201547 Office of the Communications Authority Insertion of Sign in the Calling Number Display to Help Identify Possible Telephone Scams Originated from Outside Hong Kong www ofca gov hk Archived from the original on 2021 03 24 Retrieved 2021 03 24 ITU allocation list The Numbering Plan for Telecommunications Services in Hong Kong Office of the Communications Authority Hong Kong Retrieved 21 October 2015 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Telephone numbers in Hong Kong amp oldid 1129021706, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
