|ba| Bosnia and Hercegovina +387

 

Number Format

Area Code:            2 digits
Subscriber Number:    5-6 digits (see note below)
Trunk Prefix:         0
International Prefix: 00

Subscriber Number: currently 5-6 digits, to consistent 6 digits by July 2001 (as from July 2001: national 8-digit subscriber numbers, no area code)

Area code information

1 June 2002 - mobile code change

As of 1 June, 2002, +387 66 for BH Telecom mobile network has been replaced by +387 61.

Based on information from BH Telecom.

 

22 May 2000 through 1 July 2002 - national renumbering

The Telecommunications Regulatory Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina approved a new national numbering plan 14 March 2000. This will replace the existing numbering scheme, inherited from the former Yugoslavia system.

This plan will provide a common numbering system for all communication carriers. For example, there were at least three fixed-line operators serving this nation; numbers for some of these services required routing through the country code of an adjacent nation.

Agreements and numbering conventions for the new plan were to be completed by 1 May 2000, when preparations for the new numbering plan commence.

Implementation dates were unclear, but reports indicate this likely began 14 May 2000 and continued through 4 June 2000. On 22 May 2000, the three major wireline carriers concluded Interconnect Agreements.

Subscriber numbers were initially converted to a fixed format: area codes of 2 digits, with subscriber numbers of 6 digits - a consistent 8-digit national plan. Existing 5-digit subscriber numbers were to be extended to the 6-digit format. There were also some rearrangement of area code geographic boundaries which required subscriber number and/or area code changes.

As from 1 July 2002, after subscriber numbers have been modified to the constant 2-digit area code / 6-digit subscriber number format, a closed numbering plan will take effect. All domestic calls, whether local or long distance, would be dialled as 8 digits - the area code plus subscriber number. The new 8-digit numbers would be formatted as two groups of 4 digits, such as '3399 9999' for an example Sarajevo number. An initial '0' prefix would no longer be required for domestic long distance calls.

In the new plan, geographic area codes will be changed so that they begin with the digit 3 or 5. Mobile numbering will begin with 66. Special non-geographic services (freephone, premium, personal) will begin with 7, 8 or 9. However, these codes conflicted with the existing area codes; example: 80 is the area code for Livno, which would be changed to a new area code. 800 can be used for freephone services since no Livno subscriber number begins with 0, but eventually Livno changed to conform to the new geographic area code range.

Permissive dialling dates remain unknown - there was to have been a 2-3 month time frame during which old and new format numbers could be dialled. The date on which old format numbers were discontinued is unknown.

112 was established as the general emergency number, following the European Union standard. Existing emergency numbers will remain in effect for an indefinite period. Special services beginning with '9' will be changed to European-style short codes beginning with '1'.

 

1 May 2000 through 1 July 2002 - new area codes

Bosnia's area codes were renumbered as part of a numbering plan reconstruction. A page from PTT indicates most of these new codes took effect 4 June 2000.

The following list indicates the new Bosnia and Hercegovina area codes for the new numbering plan which took effect (full implementation was expected by 2002, if not already). The most significant changes were reported to have taken effect on or about 22 May 2000. The change from old area code is indicated in the Comments column where this detail is known:

 

Area Code    Place/Service                  Comments
---------    -------------                  --------
30           Middle Bosnia (Canton 6)       or Srednjo-Bosanski
31           Posavina (Canton 2)            or Posavski
32           Zenica-Doboj (Canton 4)        or Zenicko-Dobojski, was 72
33           Sarajevo (Canton 9)            was 71
34           Herzeg-Bosnia (Canton 10)      or Hercegovasko-Bosanski
35           Tuzla-Podrinje (Canton 3)      or Tuzlanski
36           Herzegovina-Neretva (Canton 7) or Hercegovacko-Neretvanski
37           Una Sana (Canton 1)            or Unsko-Sanski
38           Gorazde-Upper Drina (Canton 5) or Bosansko-Podrinjski, was 73
39           West Herzegovina (Canton 8)    or Zapadno-Hercegovacki
49           Brcko                          was 76; was to change to 54?
50           Mrkonjic-Grad
51           Banja Luka                     was 78
52           Prijedor                       was 79
53           Doboj                          was 74
54           Bosanski Amac                  was 76; Brcko was to be 54 - see 49
55           Bijelina (Bijeljina)
56           Zvojnik (Zvornik)              was 75
57           Pale
58           Srbrinje, Foca
59           Trebinje                       was 89
61  [new]    Mobile [as of June 2002]       BH Telecom - formerly 661
66x          Mobile                         digit after 66 determines carrier
661 [now 61] Mobile - PTT BiH               Bosnian network [until June 2002]
663          Mobile - HPT Mostar (ERONET)   Croatian network
665          Mobile - Telekom Srpska        Serbian network
70           Personal Numbering             Jajce 70 code must change first
80           Freephone                      Livno 80 must eventually change
81           Shared cost numbers
88           Freephone (reserved)           Medjugorje 88 code must change first
90           Premium services

For the technically minded, switching is by Ericsson AXE10, Siemens EWSD and Alcatel S12.

(news courtesy Richard D G Cox; additional detail courtesy Leonard Ziegler).

See also these articles from OHR: Economic Newsletter regarding the Bosnia and Herzegovina numbering plan changes:

An ITU Information Note of 10 May 1999 announced that a "closed plan", or a scheme which treats the entire territory as a large city. 19 national codes, plus a national GSM code of 66 will take effect.

(tips with some news courtesy Richard D G Cox)

 

1 October 1993 - country code 387 in effect

ITU assigned country code 387, which came into service 1 October 1993 to replace the old Yugoslav country code 38 territory.

Other Information

Telecom regulator is Communication Regulatory Agency.

Numbering information link (via ITU).