|mt| Malta +356

 

Number Format

Area Code:            none
Subscriber Number:    8 digits (as of November 2001; formerly 6 digits)
Trunk Prefix:         n/a
International Prefix: 00

 

Numbering range information

December 2006: New carriers

New number ranges were introduced for the following carriers and services:

 

Number range    Carrier
------------    -------
+356 2010xxxx   Sky Telecom
+356 27xxxxxx   Melita/Hello

Melita's Hello service allows existing Maltacom subsciber numbers in +356 21xxxxxx to be transferred to Melita's +356 27xxxxxx range while offering to keep the last six digits of the subscriber's old Maltacom number.

Melita information on Hello +356 27xxxxxx service.

(courtesy Melita, Claude Azzopardi, Malta Communications Authority)

 

July 2005 - updated numbering plan

The following numbering ranges were in effect July 2005:

 

Number range  Service
------------  -------
212xxxxx      fixed/geographic (Maltacom)
213xxxxx      fixed/geographic (Maltacom)
214xxxxx      fixed/geographic (Maltacom)
215xxxxx      fixed/geographic (Maltacom)
216xxxxx      fixed/geographic (Maltacom)
2172xxxx      mailbox (Maltacom)
2173xxxx      mailbox (Maltacom)
2174xxxx      mailbox (Maltacom)
218xxxxx      fixed/geographic (Maltacom)
22xxxxxx      DDI (Direct Dialing In) (Maltacom) [note 1]
23xxxxxx      DDI (Direct Dialing In) (Maltacom) [note 1]
25xxxxxx      DDI (Direct Dialing In) (Maltacom) [note 1]
345xxxxx      fixed/geographic (Maltacom) [note 1]
7117xxxx      paging (Telepage)
79xxxxxx      mobile - GSM (Go Mobile) [note 1]
99xxxxxx      mobile - GSM (Vodafone Malta) Note 1: introduced or announced since 2001-2002 renumbering

Source: Malta Communications Authority (MCA) announcement (18 July 2005, via ITU).

 

2001-2002 - National renumbering from 6 to 8 digits

Malta subscriber numbers are expanding from 6 to 8 digits in 2001. The digits '21' will be prepended to existing national fixed/wireline subscriber numbers to form the new national subscriber numbers.

Vodafone mobile numbers replaced leading digit 0 with 9. That is, subscriber numbers in 0949xxxx range became 9949xxxx. Go Mobile subscriber numbers were to remain unchanged.

Paging subscriber number ranges 70xxxx, 71xxxx were changed to 7117xxxx.

Mailbox service subscriber numbers in the 07xxxxx range were changed to 217xxxxx.

Details of the introduction of the expanded numbers were sketchy. The expanded numbering was reported implemented for the St Paul's (57xxxx, 58xxxx) and Mellieha (52xxxx) exchanges on 11 July 2001, and Gozo exchange (55xxxx, 56xxxx) on 20 July 2001.

However, some other reports indicated the new numbering became active as of 1 November 2001, which may be the date by which all exchanges are capable of 8-digit subscriber number dialling.

A notice from Maldives carrier Dhiraagu indicated that the numbering changes became effective (mandatory?) as of 30 April 2002. That announcement listed the ranges as follows:

 

Old number   New number   Service
==========   ==========   =======
072xxxx      2172xxxx     mailbox
073xxxx      2173xxxx     mailbox
074xxxx      2174xxxx     mailbox
2xxxxx       212xxxxx     regular telephone
3xxxxx       213xxxxx     regular telephone
4xxxxx       214xxxxx     regular telephone
5xxxxx       215xxxxx     regular telephone
6xxxxx       216xxxxx     regular telephone
70xxxx       7117xxxx     paging
71xxxx       7117xxxx     paging
8xxxxx       218xxxxx     regular telephone
9xxxxxx      99xxxxxx     mobile (Vodafone Malta GSM)

The standard European emergency number 112 will enter into service. It will replace separate emergency numbers such as 191, 196 and 199.

Permissive dialling period was to continue until at least April 2002. Other reports indicated six months from the 1st November 2001 target date which would have meant permissive dialling ending on May 2002.

References:

 

Other Information

Regulator is Malta Communications Authority.

In particular, see the MCA's Number Plan for the Maltese Islands (PDF format).

Carriers include: