Phone prefixes in Masset, BC
Masset, BC is a rate centre in the Canadian numbering plan. CNAC records 4 in-service prefixes there, held by 3 carriers and spread across 3 area codes (236, 250, 778). With 4 prefixes, Masset is a small rate centre within British Columbia: 128th of 309, holding 0.1% of the province’s prefixes, and 1279th 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
- 4
- Telephone numbers covered
- 40,000
- Carriers
- 3
- Area codes
- 3
- Provinces and territories
- 1
- First assignment
- June 30, 2016
- Most recent assignment
- November 4, 2024
Masset’s share of its area codes
Within area code 236, Masset accounts for only 2 of 730 prefixes (0.3%): the code is dominated by Vancouver and spread over 269 rate centres. Within area code 250, Masset accounts for only 1 of 781 prefixes (0.1%): the code is dominated by Victoria and spread over 268 rate centres. Within area code 778, Masset 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 236 | 2 | 730 | 0.3 % | 236-251 – 236-434 | Vancouver |
| 250 | 1 | 781 | 0.1 % | 250-626 – 250-626 | Victoria |
| 778 | 1 | 779 | 0.1 % | 778-914 – 778-914 | Vancouver |
Who holds these numbers
TELUS holds the largest share at 2 prefixes, 50.0% of the total, ahead of 2 other carriers. Code by code: in 236, TELUS leads with 1 of 2 prefixes ahead of 1 others; TELUS is the only holder in 250; TELUS Mobility is the only holder in 778. No carrier holds prefixes in every one of Masset’s 3 area codes, while 2 appear in just one.
| Carrier | 236 | 250 | 778 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TELUS | 1 | 1 | — | 2 |
| Iristel Inc. | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| TELUS Mobility | — | — | 1 | 1 |
Wireless and wireline
1 of Masset’s 4 prefixes (25.0%) are held by carriers whose registered name marks a wireless business: TELUS Mobility. Wireline prefixes still outnumber them, carried by TELUS and Iristel Inc. 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
Masset’s dated assignments run from 2016 to 2024. The busiest period was 2015–2019, when 2 prefixes went to 2 carriers. 1 prefixes (25%) 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.
Masset’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 TELUS in 2016. The most recent arrivals are Iristel Inc. (2024), TELUS Mobility (2016) and TELUS (2016), a sign that new carriers are still asking for numbers in Masset.
Masset has just 4 prefixes (40,000 numbers): a very small rate centre, typical of a village or rural area served by a single switching office.
TELUS leads with 50.0% of the prefixes, but 2 competitors have set up in Masset: a market where the incumbent keeps the edge without exclusivity.
Demand remains steady: 33.3% of the dated prefixes go back to the last ten years, the most active period being 2015–2019. The rate centre is growing at a regular rather than explosive pace.
| Period | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|
| 2015–2019 | 2 | 2 |
| 2020–2024 | 1 | 1 |
1 undated in the register.
Dialling a Masset number
Masset is served by 3 overlaid area codes (236, 250 and 778). A 778 number is no more “out of town” than a 236 one; from abroad, dial +1 and the full ten digits.
The numbering neighbourhood
Masset shares area codes 236, 250 and 778 with at least 20 other rate centres, including Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, New Westminster, Nanaimo, South Kamloops, Prince George and Abbotsford. The largest of them, Vancouver, holds 314 prefixes in 236 and 778; the smallest on the list, North Vancouver, has just 21.
| Rate centre | Province | Shared codes | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | BC | 236, 778 | 314 | 19 |
| Victoria | BC | 236, 250, 778 | 152 | 16 |
| Kelowna | BC | 236, 250, 778 | 69 | 13 |
| New Westminster | BC | 236, 778 | 57 | 15 |
| Nanaimo | BC | 236, 250, 778 | 44 | 12 |
| South Kamloops | BC | 236, 250, 778 | 42 | 11 |
| Prince George | BC | 236, 250, 778 | 37 | 11 |
| Abbotsford | BC | 236, 778 | 35 | 13 |
| Vernon | BC | 236, 250, 778 | 34 | 11 |
| Penticton | BC | 236, 250, 778 | 30 | 11 |
| Aldergrove | BC | 236, 778 | 29 | 12 |
| Richmond | BC | 236, 778 | 27 | 15 |
| Duncan | BC | 236, 250, 778 | 25 | 9 |
| Cranbrook | BC | 236, 250, 778 | 24 | 11 |
| Fort St. John | BC | 236, 250, 778 | 24 | 9 |
| Newton | BC | 236, 778 | 23 | 12 |
| Courtenay | BC | 236, 250, 778 | 22 | 8 |
| Parksville | BC | 236, 250, 778 | 22 | 10 |
| Campbell River | BC | 236, 250, 778 | 21 | 10 |
| North Vancouver | BC | 236, 778 | 21 | 11 |
What a Masset number tells you
A number attached to Masset 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 3 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 Masset: code 236-434 is recorded for TELUS, so every 236-434-XXXX number (10,000 possible) descends from that assignment. “Masset, British Columbia” there names a rate centre, not a municipality, and several area codes overlay it.
Every Masset prefix
Each row is an in-service central-office code recorded for Masset, with its original holder and year of assignment.
| Prefix | Carrier | Assigned |
|---|---|---|
| 236-251 | Iristel Inc. | 2024 |
| 236-434 | TELUS | 2016 |
| 250-626 | TELUS | undated |
| 778-914 | TELUS Mobility | 2016 |
Frequently asked
What is the area code for Masset?
Masset does not have one area code but 3: 236, 250 and 778. The best-stocked is 236. All are dialled with ten digits and none is “more local” than another.
Is a call from Masset a cellphone or a landline?
More likely a landline or a VoIP service: mobility brands hold only 25.0% of Masset’s prefixes.
Which carrier is behind a Masset number?
In the register, TELUS holds the most prefixes in Masset (2 of 4), ahead of 2 other carriers. Code 236-434, for instance, belongs to TELUS.
Is this Masset 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 Masset?
The latest code brought into service is 236-251, assigned to Iristel Inc. on November 4, 2024. At the other end, the oldest dated prefix, 236-434, goes to TELUS (June 30, 2016). A number in a recent prefix almost always belongs to a subscriber who signed up after that date.
Allocated prefixes
All 4 in-service prefixes, grouped by rate centre.
Masset, BC
236-251 · 236-434 · 250-626 · 778-914
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.