Phone prefixes in Nanaimo, BC
Nanaimo, BC is a rate centre in the Canadian numbering plan. CNAC records 48 in-service prefixes there, held by 14 carriers and spread across 4 area codes (250, 236, 778, 672). With 48 prefixes, Nanaimo is a mid-sized rate centre by British Columbia standards: 9th of 309, holding 1.4% of the province’s prefixes, and 61st of 2,920 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
Where Nanaimo is
- Province or territory
- British Columbia
- Census division
- Nanaimo
- Local time
- — Pacific Time (PT), UTC−8; UTC−7 in daylight saving time
- Nearest rate centres
- Wellington (6 km), Lantzville (11 km), Cedar (11 km), Nanoose (13 km), Ladysmith (26 km)
Divisions and places: Statistics Canada and NRCan. Straight-line distances.
In numbers
- In-service prefixes
- 48
- Telephone numbers covered
- 480,000
- Carriers
- 14
- Area codes
- 4
- Provinces and territories
- 1
- First assignment
- August 26, 1999
- Most recent assignment
- January 23, 2026
Nanaimo’s share of its area codes
Within area code 250, Nanaimo accounts for only 25 of 781 prefixes (3.2%): the code is dominated by Victoria and spread over 268 rate centres. Within area code 236, Nanaimo accounts for only 10 of 745 prefixes (1.3%): the code is dominated by Vancouver and spread over 269 rate centres. Within area code 778, Nanaimo accounts for only 10 of 779 prefixes (1.3%): the code is dominated by Vancouver and spread over 159 rate centres. Within area code 672, Nanaimo accounts for only 3 of 321 prefixes (0.9%): the code is dominated by Vancouver and spread over 109 rate centres.
| Area codes | Prefixes here | Prefixes in code | Share | Range | Largest rate centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250 | 25 | 781 | 3.2 % | 250-244 – 250-824 | Victoria |
| 236 | 10 | 745 | 1.3 % | 236-238 – 236-953 | Vancouver |
| 778 | 10 | 779 | 1.3 % | 778-268 – 778-971 | Vancouver |
| 672 | 3 | 321 | 0.9 % | 672-350 – 672-476 | Vancouver |
Who holds these numbers
TELUS holds the largest share at 13 prefixes, 27.1% of the total, ahead of 13 other carriers. Code by code: in 250, TELUS leads with 12 of 25 prefixes ahead of 6 others; in 236, Iristel Inc. leads with 3 of 10 prefixes ahead of 6 others; in 778, Iristel Inc. leads with 2 of 10 prefixes ahead of 6 others; in 672, TELUS leads with 1 of 3 prefixes ahead of 2 others. No carrier holds prefixes in every one of Nanaimo’s 4 area codes, while 5 appear in just one.
| Carrier | 250 | 236 | 778 | 672 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TELUS | 12 | — | — | 1 | 13 |
| TELUS Mobility | 5 | — | 1 | — | 6 |
| Iristel Inc. | — | 3 | 2 | — | 5 |
| Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Wireless) | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | 5 |
| Bell Mobility | 1 | — | 2 | — | 3 |
| Shaw Telecom Inc. | 2 | — | 1 | — | 3 |
| Videotron Ltd. | — | 2 | — | 1 | 3 |
| Bell West Inc. | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 |
| Distributel | — | — | 2 | — | 2 |
| Fido Solutions Inc. | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 |
| Comwave Networks | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| Fibernetics Corporation | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| ISP Telecom Inc. | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Cable) | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
Wireless and wireline
16 of Nanaimo’s 48 prefixes (33.3%) are held by carriers whose registered name marks a wireless business: TELUS Mobility, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Wireless), Bell Mobility and Fido Solutions Inc. Wireline prefixes still outnumber them, carried by TELUS, Iristel Inc, Shaw Telecom Inc and Videotron Ltd. 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
Nanaimo’s dated assignments run from 1999 to 2026. The busiest period was 2015–2019, when 9 prefixes went to 8 carriers. 10 prefixes (21%) carry no date in the register: these are the historic pre-1999 assignments, the wireline bedrock of the rate centre. Since 2020 another 7 prefixes have been added, so the rate centre is still growing.
Nanaimo’s oldest prefixes, the ones the register leaves undated, belong to TELUS and Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Wireless): these carriers made up the landscape before competition arrived. The first dated assignment went to Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Wireless) in 1999. The most recent arrivals are Fibernetics Corporation (2026), ISP Telecom Inc. (2022) and Videotron Ltd. (2018), a sign that new carriers are still asking for numbers in Nanaimo.
Nanaimo’s 48 prefixes provide 480,000 numbers, which corresponds to a mid-sized city or a well-established suburb that every major carrier wants a slice of.
No single carrier dominates Nanaimo: the leader, TELUS, holds only 27.1% of the prefixes against 13 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 18.4% of the dated prefixes are less than ten years old, most having been handed out in 2015–2019, and 10 prefixes go back to the undated monopoly era. New Nanaimo numbers mostly come out of blocks that were assigned long ago.
| Period | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|
| 1995–1999 | 2 | 2 |
| 2000–2004 | 8 | 4 |
| 2005–2009 | 5 | 4 |
| 2010–2014 | 7 | 6 |
| 2015–2019 | 9 | 8 |
| 2020–2024 | 6 | 4 |
| 2025–2029 | 1 | 1 |
10 undated in the register.
Dialling a Nanaimo number
Nanaimo is served by 4 overlaid area codes (250, 236, 778 and 672). A 672 number is no more “out of town” than a 250 one; from abroad, dial +1 and the full ten digits.
The numbering neighbourhood
Nanaimo shares area codes 250, 236, 778 and 672 with at least 20 other rate centres, including Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, New Westminster, Abbotsford, South Kamloops, Prince George and Cranbrook. The largest of them, Vancouver, holds 397 prefixes in 236, 672 and 778; the smallest on the list, Salmon Arm, has just 22.
| 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 | 77 | 14 |
| New Westminster | BC | 236, 672, 778 | 60 | 15 |
| Abbotsford | BC | 236, 672, 778 | 57 | 14 |
| South Kamloops | BC | 236, 250, 672, 778 | 47 | 12 |
| Prince George | BC | 236, 250, 672, 778 | 44 | 11 |
| Cranbrook | BC | 236, 250, 672, 778 | 37 | 12 |
| 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 | 31 | 12 |
| Richmond | BC | 236, 672, 778 | 30 | 15 |
| Fort St. John | BC | 236, 250, 672, 778 | 27 | 10 |
| Duncan | BC | 236, 250, 778 | 26 | 10 |
| 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 | 22 | 11 |
| Salmon Arm | BC | 236, 250, 672, 778 | 22 | 11 |
What a Nanaimo number tells you
A number attached to Nanaimo 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 14 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 Nanaimo: code 250-518 is recorded for TELUS, so every 250-518-XXXX number (10,000 possible) descends from that assignment. “Nanaimo, British Columbia” there names a rate centre, not a municipality, and several area codes overlay it.
Every Nanaimo prefix
Each row is an in-service central-office code recorded for Nanaimo, with its original holder and year of assignment.
What people check and report about Nanaimo numbers
Searches typed into this site's lookup form since July 28, 2026, plus the verdicts and moderated reports visitors left. A search usually follows a missed call.
1 verdict and 0 reports
1 scam, 0 nuisance, 0 safe. Too few to show shares yet.
Had a call from a Nanaimo number?
No clear pattern in reports on these numbers yet. If a call worried you:
- Call back on a number you trust
If a caller says they are your bank, the Canada Revenue Agency, a courier or your phone company, hang up and call the organization on the number from its website or your statement, never the number that called you. Caller ID can be faked.
- Report the fraud
Report the call or text to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online or at 1-888-495-8501. If you lost money or gave out personal details, tell your bank first, then your local police.
- Register on the National Do Not Call List
Registering a landline or mobile on the National DNCL is free. Registered charities, political parties, newspapers and companies you already do business with may still call.
- Forward suspicious texts to 7726
Forward a scam or spam text to 7726 (SPAM on the keypad). It's free, and your carrier uses it to block the sender. Don't tap links or reply.
Frequently asked
What is the area code for Nanaimo?
Nanaimo does not have one area code but 4: 250, 236, 778 and 672. The best-stocked is 250. All are dialled with ten digits and none is “more local” than another.
Is a call from Nanaimo a cellphone or a landline?
More likely a landline or a VoIP service: mobility brands hold only 33.3% of Nanaimo’s prefixes.
Which carrier is behind a Nanaimo number?
In the register, TELUS holds the most prefixes in Nanaimo (13 of 48), ahead of 13 other carriers. Code 250-518, for instance, belongs to TELUS.
Is this Nanaimo 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 Nanaimo?
The latest code brought into service is 236-821, assigned to Fibernetics Corporation on January 23, 2026. At the other end, the oldest dated prefix, 250-618, goes to Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Wireless) (August 26, 1999). A number in a recent prefix almost always belongs to a subscriber who signed up after that date.
What time zone is Nanaimo in?
Nanaimo is on Pacific Time (PT, UTC−8), with daylight saving time (UTC−7) from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
Allocated prefixes
All 48 in-service prefixes, grouped by rate centre.
Nanaimo, BC
236-238 · 236-362 · 236-415 · 236-462 · 236-496 · 236-544 · 236-628 · 236-821 · 236-897 · 236-953 · 250-244 · 250-268 · 250-327 · 250-518 · 250-591 · 250-616 · 250-618 · 250-619 · 250-667 · 250-668 · 250-713 · 250-714 · 250-716 · 250-734 · 250-739 · 250-740 · 250-741 · 250-753 · 250-754 · 250-755 · 250-796 · 250-797 · 250-802 · 250-816 · 250-824 · 672-350 · 672-360 · 672-476 · 778-268 · 778-269 · 778-441 · 778-674 · 778-690 · 778-744 · 778-762 · 778-787 · 778-841 · 778-971
Elsewhere in British Columbia
| Rate centre | Province | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chilliwack | BC | 41 | 14 |
| Whalley | BC | 36 | 12 |
| West Vancouver | BC | 31 | 9 |
| Whistler | BC | 28 | 12 |
| Port Coquitlam | BC | 26 | 10 |
| Squamish | BC | 24 | 12 |
| Langley | BC | 23 | 8 |
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.