Phone prefixes in Athabasca, AB
Athabasca, AB is a rate centre in the Canadian numbering plan. CNAC records 8 in-service prefixes there, held by 6 carriers and spread across 3 area codes (587, 780, 825). With 8 prefixes, Athabasca is a small rate centre within Alberta: 59th of 337, holding 0.2% of the province’s prefixes, and 607th of 2,921 rate centres across Canada.
Background reading: Canadian area codes, overlays, and what a 416 number actually tells you · Caller ID spoofing, STIR/SHAKEN, and how to actually block calls in Canada
In numbers
- In-service prefixes
- 8
- Telephone numbers covered
- 80,000
- Carriers
- 6
- Area codes
- 3
- Provinces and territories
- 1
- First assignment
- June 19, 2000
- Most recent assignment
- April 4, 2017
Athabasca’s share of its area codes
Within area code 587, Athabasca accounts for only 4 of 779 prefixes (0.5%): the code is dominated by Calgary and spread over 137 rate centres. Within area code 780, Athabasca accounts for only 3 of 780 prefixes (0.4%): the code is dominated by Edmonton and spread over 195 rate centres. Within area code 825, Athabasca accounts for only 1 of 769 prefixes (0.1%): the code is dominated by Calgary and spread over 301 rate centres.
| Area codes | Prefixes here | Prefixes in code | Share | Range | Largest rate centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 587 | 4 | 779 | 0.5 % | 587-383 – 587-746 | Calgary |
| 780 | 3 | 780 | 0.4 % | 780-609 – 780-676 | Edmonton |
| 825 | 1 | 769 | 0.1 % | 825-827 – 825-827 | Calgary |
Who holds these numbers
Distributel holds the largest share at 2 prefixes, 25.0% of the total, ahead of 5 other carriers. Code by code: in 587, Distributel leads with 1 of 4 prefixes ahead of 3 others; in 780, TELUS leads with 2 of 3 prefixes ahead of 1 others; Distributel is the only holder in 825. No carrier holds prefixes in every one of Athabasca’s 3 area codes, while 5 appear in just one.
| Carrier | 587 | 780 | 825 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distributel | 1 | — | 1 | 2 |
| TELUS | — | 2 | — | 2 |
| Bell West Inc. | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Fido Solutions Inc. | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Cable) | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Wireless) | — | 1 | — | 1 |
Wireless and wireline
2 of Athabasca’s 8 prefixes (25.0%) are held by carriers whose registered name marks a wireless business: Fido Solutions Inc and Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Wireless). Wireline prefixes still outnumber them, carried by Distributel, TELUS, Bell West Inc and Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Cable). This is a sort by name, not a licence lookup, and a mobile prefix may have been ported to another network since.
How the allocation was built up
Athabasca’s dated assignments run from 2000 to 2017. The busiest period was 2010–2014, when 3 prefixes went to 3 carriers. 1 prefixes (13%) carry no date in the register: these are the historic pre-1999 assignments, the wireline bedrock of the rate centre. No prefix has been added since 2020: demand for numbers in Athabasca is flat.
Athabasca’s oldest prefixes, the ones the register leaves undated, belong to TELUS: this carrier made up the landscape before competition arrived. The first dated assignment went to Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Wireless) in 2000. The most recent arrivals are Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Cable) (2017), Bell West Inc. (2015) and Distributel (2012), a sign that new carriers are still asking for numbers in Athabasca.
Athabasca has just 8 prefixes (80,000 numbers): a very small rate centre, typical of a village or rural area served by a single switching office.
No single carrier dominates Athabasca: the leader, Distributel, holds only 25.0% of the prefixes against 5 competitors, a sign of a highly fragmented market where cable companies, mobility brands and VoIP providers weigh as much as the incumbent.
Allocation is mature: only 0.0% of the dated prefixes are less than ten years old, most having been handed out in 2010–2014, and 1 prefixes go back to the undated monopoly era. New Athabasca numbers mostly come out of blocks that were assigned long ago.
| Period | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–2004 | 1 | 1 |
| 2010–2014 | 3 | 3 |
| 2015–2019 | 3 | 3 |
1 undated in the register.
Dialling a Athabasca number
Athabasca is served by 3 overlaid area codes (587, 780 and 825). A 825 number is no more “out of town” than a 587 one; from abroad, dial +1 and the full ten digits.
The numbering neighbourhood
Athabasca shares area codes 587, 780 and 825 with at least 20 other rate centres, including Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Sherwood Park and Peace River. The largest of them, Edmonton, holds 489 prefixes in 587, 780 and 825; the smallest on the list, High Level, has just 16.
| Rate centre | Province | Shared codes | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 489 | 18 |
| Calgary | AB | 587, 825 | 341 | 18 |
| Fort McMurray | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 60 | 13 |
| Grande Prairie | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 49 | 13 |
| Red Deer | AB | 587, 825 | 31 | 13 |
| Lethbridge | AB | 587, 825 | 25 | 12 |
| Sherwood Park | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 25 | 8 |
| Peace River | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 24 | 10 |
| St. Albert | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 23 | 8 |
| Fox Creek | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 21 | 9 |
| Leduc | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 21 | 10 |
| Lloydminster | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 21 | 9 |
| Medicine Hat | AB | 587, 825 | 21 | 10 |
| Camrose | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 20 | 11 |
| Drayton Valley | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 18 | 7 |
| Edson | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 18 | 9 |
| Banff | AB | 587, 825 | 17 | 10 |
| Bonnyville | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 17 | 7 |
| High River | AB | 587, 825 | 17 | 10 |
| High Level | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 16 | 6 |
What a Athabasca number tells you
A number attached to Athabasca tells you that its prefix was issued to a carrier for this rate centre in Alberta, most often Distributel. It does not tell you where the handset is today: a subscriber may have ported the number to any of the 6 carriers present here or to a VoIP service usable anywhere. Nor does it tell you who is calling: caller ID can be spoofed, and an Alberta area code is easy to borrow to look local.
Reading a register entry for Athabasca: code 587-746 is recorded for Distributel, so every 587-746-XXXX number (10,000 possible) descends from that assignment. “Athabasca, Alberta” there names a rate centre, not a municipality, and several area codes overlay it.
Every Athabasca prefix
Each row is an in-service central-office code recorded for Athabasca, with its original holder and year of assignment.
| Prefix | Carrier | Assigned |
|---|---|---|
| 587-383 | Bell West Inc. | 2015 |
| 587-677 | Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Cable) | 2017 |
| 587-732 | Fido Solutions Inc. | 2012 |
| 587-746 | Distributel | 2012 |
| 780-609 | TELUS | 2010 |
| 780-675 | TELUS | undated |
| 780-676 | Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Wireless) | 2000 |
| 825-827 | Distributel | 2016 |
Frequently asked
What is the area code for Athabasca?
Athabasca does not have one area code but 3: 587, 780 and 825. The best-stocked is 587. All are dialled with ten digits and none is “more local” than another.
Is a call from Athabasca a cellphone or a landline?
More likely a landline or a VoIP service: mobility brands hold only 25.0% of Athabasca’s prefixes.
Which carrier is behind a Athabasca number?
In the register, Distributel holds the most prefixes in Athabasca (2 of 8), ahead of 5 other carriers. Code 587-746, for instance, belongs to Distributel.
Is this Athabasca number a scam?
The register cannot say: it records who a prefix was issued to, not who is calling. Search the full number above to see the reports filed against it.
What is the newest prefix in Athabasca?
The latest code brought into service is 587-677, assigned to Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Cable) on April 4, 2017. At the other end, the oldest dated prefix, 780-676, goes to Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Wireless) (June 19, 2000). A number in a recent prefix almost always belongs to a subscriber who signed up after that date.
Allocated prefixes
All 8 in-service prefixes, grouped by rate centre.
Athabasca, AB
587-383 · 587-677 · 587-732 · 587-746 · 780-609 · 780-675 · 780-676 · 825-827
Elsewhere in Alberta
| Rate centre | Province | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canmore | AB | 26 | 13 |
| Airdrie | AB | 23 | 10 |
| Strathmore | AB | 22 | 12 |
| Brooks | AB | 19 | 9 |
Allocation source: Canadian Numbering Administrator (CNAC), the registry that records which carrier a central-office code was originally issued to. An allocation says who was issued the prefix, not who serves the number today: numbers can be ported between carriers, and caller ID can be spoofed outright.