Phone prefixes in Cedar, BC
Cedar, BC is a rate centre in the Canadian numbering plan. CNAC records 5 in-service prefixes there, held by 4 carriers and spread across 4 area codes (250, 236, 672, 778). With 5 prefixes, Cedar is a small rate centre within British Columbia: 114th of 309, holding 0.1% of the province’s prefixes, and 1081st 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
- 5
- Telephone numbers covered
- 50,000
- Carriers
- 4
- Area codes
- 4
- Provinces and territories
- 1
- First assignment
- December 3, 2007
- Most recent assignment
- May 18, 2022
Cedar’s share of its area codes
Within area code 250, Cedar accounts for only 2 of 781 prefixes (0.3%): the code is dominated by Victoria and spread over 268 rate centres. Within area code 236, Cedar accounts for only 1 of 730 prefixes (0.1%): the code is dominated by Vancouver and spread over 269 rate centres. Within area code 672, Cedar accounts for only 1 of 320 prefixes (0.3%): the code is dominated by Vancouver and spread over 108 rate centres. Within area code 778, Cedar accounts for only 1 of 779 prefixes (0.1%): the code is dominated by Vancouver and spread over 159 rate centres.
| Area codes | Prefixes here | Prefixes in code | Share | Range | Largest rate centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250 | 2 | 781 | 0.3 % | 250-323 – 250-722 | Victoria |
| 236 | 1 | 730 | 0.1 % | 236-930 – 236-930 | Vancouver |
| 672 | 1 | 320 | 0.3 % | 672-301 – 672-301 | Vancouver |
| 778 | 1 | 779 | 0.1 % | 778-492 – 778-492 | Vancouver |
Who holds these numbers
TELUS holds the largest share at 2 prefixes, 40.0% of the total, ahead of 3 other carriers. Code by code: in 250, TELUS leads with 1 of 2 prefixes ahead of 1 others; Distributel is the only holder in 236; ISP Telecom Inc. is the only holder in 672; TELUS is the only holder in 778. No carrier holds prefixes in every one of Cedar’s 4 area codes, while 3 appear in just one.
| Carrier | 250 | 236 | 672 | 778 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TELUS | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 |
| Distributel | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| ISP Telecom Inc. | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| Shaw Telecom Inc. | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
Wireless and wireline
None of Cedar’s holders carries a mobility brand in its registered name: all 5 prefixes belong to wireline or wholesale carriers, among them TELUS, Distributel, ISP Telecom Inc and Shaw Telecom Inc. A call showing a Cedar number therefore nominally comes from a landline, cable or VoIP platform rather than a locally assigned cellphone.
How the allocation was built up
Cedar’s dated assignments run from 2007 to 2022. The busiest period was 2005–2009, when 1 prefixes went to 1 carrier. 1 prefixes (20%) carry no date in the register: these are the historic pre-1999 assignments, the wireline bedrock of the rate centre. Since 2020 another 1 prefixes have been added, so the rate centre is still growing.
Cedar’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 Shaw Telecom Inc. in 2007. The most recent arrivals are ISP Telecom Inc. (2022), Distributel (2016) and TELUS (2010), a sign that new carriers are still asking for numbers in Cedar.
Cedar has just 5 prefixes (50,000 numbers): a very small rate centre, typical of a village or rural area served by a single switching office.
TELUS leads with 40.0% of the prefixes, but 3 competitors have set up in Cedar: a market where the incumbent keeps the edge without exclusivity.
Demand remains steady: 25.0% of the dated prefixes go back to the last ten years, the most active period being 2005–2009. The rate centre is growing at a regular rather than explosive pace.
| Period | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|
| 2005–2009 | 1 | 1 |
| 2010–2014 | 1 | 1 |
| 2015–2019 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020–2024 | 1 | 1 |
1 undated in the register.
Dialling a Cedar number
Cedar is served by 4 overlaid area codes (250, 236, 672 and 778). A 778 number is no more “out of town” than a 250 one; from abroad, dial +1 and the full ten digits.
The numbering neighbourhood
Cedar shares area codes 250, 236, 672 and 778 with at least 20 other rate centres, including Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, New Westminster, Abbotsford, Nanaimo, South Kamloops and Prince George. The largest of them, Vancouver, holds 397 prefixes in 236, 672 and 778; the smallest on the list, Campbell River, has just 21.
| Rate centre | Province | Shared codes | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | BC | 236, 672, 778 | 397 | 19 |
| Victoria | BC | 236, 250, 672, 778 | 169 | 16 |
| Kelowna | BC | 236, 250, 672, 778 | 76 | 13 |
| New Westminster | BC | 236, 672, 778 | 60 | 15 |
| Abbotsford | BC | 236, 672, 778 | 57 | 14 |
| Nanaimo | BC | 236, 250, 672, 778 | 47 | 13 |
| South Kamloops | BC | 236, 250, 672, 778 | 47 | 12 |
| Prince George | BC | 236, 250, 672, 778 | 44 | 11 |
| Cranbrook | BC | 236, 250, 672, 778 | 36 | 11 |
| Vernon | BC | 236, 250, 672, 778 | 36 | 11 |
| Aldergrove | BC | 236, 672, 778 | 35 | 13 |
| North Vancouver | BC | 236, 672, 778 | 31 | 11 |
| Penticton | BC | 236, 250, 778 | 30 | 11 |
| Richmond | BC | 236, 672, 778 | 30 | 15 |
| Fort St. John | BC | 236, 250, 672, 778 | 26 | 9 |
| Duncan | BC | 236, 250, 778 | 25 | 9 |
| Courtenay | BC | 236, 250, 672, 778 | 24 | 8 |
| Newton | BC | 236, 672, 778 | 24 | 13 |
| Parksville | BC | 236, 250, 672, 778 | 23 | 11 |
| Campbell River | BC | 236, 250, 778 | 21 | 10 |
What a Cedar number tells you
A number attached to Cedar tells you that its prefix was issued to a carrier for this rate centre in British Columbia, most often TELUS. It does not tell you where the handset is today: a subscriber may have ported the number to any of the 4 carriers present here or to a VoIP service usable anywhere. Nor does it tell you who is calling: caller ID can be spoofed, and a British Columbia area code is easy to borrow to look local.
Reading a register entry for Cedar: code 250-722 is recorded for TELUS, so every 250-722-XXXX number (10,000 possible) descends from that assignment. “Cedar, British Columbia” there names a rate centre, not a municipality, and several area codes overlay it.
Every Cedar prefix
Each row is an in-service central-office code recorded for Cedar, with its original holder and year of assignment.
| Prefix | Carrier | Assigned |
|---|---|---|
| 236-930 | Distributel | 2016 |
| 250-323 | Shaw Telecom Inc. | 2007 |
| 250-722 | TELUS | undated |
| 672-301 | ISP Telecom Inc. | 2022 |
| 778-492 | TELUS | 2010 |
Frequently asked
What is the area code for Cedar?
Cedar does not have one area code but 4: 250, 236, 672 and 778. The best-stocked is 250. All are dialled with ten digits and none is “more local” than another.
Is a call from Cedar a cellphone or a landline?
More likely a landline or a VoIP service: mobility brands hold only 0.0% of Cedar’s prefixes.
Which carrier is behind a Cedar number?
In the register, TELUS holds the most prefixes in Cedar (2 of 5), ahead of 3 other carriers. Code 250-722, for instance, belongs to TELUS.
Is this Cedar 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 Cedar?
The latest code brought into service is 672-301, assigned to ISP Telecom Inc. on May 18, 2022. At the other end, the oldest dated prefix, 250-323, goes to Shaw Telecom Inc. (December 3, 2007). A number in a recent prefix almost always belongs to a subscriber who signed up after that date.
Allocated prefixes
All 5 in-service prefixes, grouped by rate centre.
Cedar, BC
236-930 · 250-323 · 250-722 · 672-301 · 778-492
Elsewhere in British Columbia
| Rate centre | Province | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chilliwack | BC | 41 | 14 |
| Whalley | BC | 36 | 12 |
| West Vancouver | BC | 31 | 9 |
| Whistler | BC | 27 | 11 |
| Port Coquitlam | BC | 26 | 10 |
| Squamish | BC | 24 | 12 |
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.