Phone prefixes in Oxford, NS
Oxford, NS is a rate centre in the Canadian numbering plan. CNAC records 4 in-service prefixes there, held by 4 carriers and spread across 2 area codes (782, 902). With 4 prefixes, Oxford is a small rate centre within Nova Scotia: 62nd of 146, holding 0.3% 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
- 4
- Area codes
- 2
- Provinces and territories
- 1
- First assignment
- December 7, 2000
- Most recent assignment
- July 23, 2021
Oxford’s share of its area codes
Within area code 782, Oxford accounts for only 2 of 456 prefixes (0.4%): the code is dominated by Halifax and spread over 142 rate centres. Within area code 902, Oxford accounts for only 2 of 782 prefixes (0.3%): the code is dominated by Halifax and spread over 175 rate centres.
| Area codes | Prefixes here | Prefixes in code | Share | Range | Largest rate centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 782 | 2 | 456 | 0.4 % | 782-281 – 782-604 | Halifax |
| 902 | 2 | 782 | 0.3 % | 902-447 – 902-552 | Halifax |
Who holds these numbers
Aliant Telecom (NS) holds the largest share at 1 prefixes, 25.0% of the total, ahead of 3 other carriers. Code by code: in 782, Distributel leads with 1 of 2 prefixes ahead of 1 others; in 902, Aliant Telecom (NS) leads with 1 of 2 prefixes ahead of 1 others. No carrier holds prefixes in every one of Oxford’s 2 area codes, while 4 appear in just one.
| Carrier | 782 | 902 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aliant Telecom (NS) | — | 1 | 1 |
| Bragg Communications Inc. | — | 1 | 1 |
| Distributel | 1 | — | 1 |
| Fibernetics Corporation | 1 | — | 1 |
Wireless and wireline
None of Oxford’s holders carries a mobility brand in its registered name: all 4 prefixes belong to wireline or wholesale carriers, among them Aliant Telecom (NS), Bragg Communications Inc, Distributel and Fibernetics Corporation. A call showing a Oxford number therefore nominally comes from a landline, cable or VoIP platform rather than a locally assigned cellphone.
How the allocation was built up
Oxford’s dated assignments run from 2000 to 2021. The busiest period was 2000–2004, when 1 prefixes went to 1 carrier. 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.
Oxford’s oldest prefixes, the ones the register leaves undated, belong to Aliant Telecom (NS): this carrier made up the landscape before competition arrived. The first dated assignment went to Bragg Communications Inc. in 2000. The most recent arrivals are Fibernetics Corporation (2021), Distributel (2018) and Bragg Communications Inc. (2000), a sign that new carriers are still asking for numbers in Oxford.
Oxford 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.
No single carrier dominates Oxford: the leader, Aliant Telecom (NS), holds only 25.0% of the prefixes against 3 competitors, a sign of a highly fragmented market where cable companies, mobility brands and VoIP providers weigh as much as the incumbent.
Demand remains steady: 33.3% of the dated prefixes go back to the last ten years, the most active period being 2000–2004. The rate centre is growing at a regular rather than explosive pace.
| Period | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–2004 | 1 | 1 |
| 2015–2019 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020–2024 | 1 | 1 |
1 undated in the register.
Dialling a Oxford number
Oxford is served by 2 overlaid area codes (782 and 902). A 902 number is no more “out of town” than a 782 one; from abroad, dial +1 and the full ten digits.
The numbering neighbourhood
Oxford shares area codes 782 and 902 with at least 20 other rate centres, including Halifax, Charlottetown, Sydney, Truro, Amherst, New Glasgow, Kentville and Summerside. The largest of them, Halifax, holds 220 prefixes in 782 and 902; the smallest on the list, Musquodoboit Harbour, has just 12.
| Rate centre | Province | Shared codes | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halifax | NS | 782, 902 | 220 | 15 |
| Charlottetown | PE | 782, 902 | 54 | 11 |
| Sydney | NS | 782, 902 | 44 | 11 |
| Truro | NS | 782, 902 | 30 | 12 |
| Amherst | NS | 782, 902 | 27 | 12 |
| New Glasgow | NS | 782, 902 | 27 | 10 |
| Kentville | NS | 782, 902 | 25 | 11 |
| Summerside | PE | 782, 902 | 24 | 9 |
| Windsor | NS | 782, 902 | 24 | 12 |
| Bridgewater | NS | 782, 902 | 22 | 12 |
| Yarmouth | NS | 782, 902 | 21 | 10 |
| Antigonish | NS | 782, 902 | 16 | 8 |
| Liverpool | NS | 782, 902 | 16 | 11 |
| Chester | NS | 782, 902 | 15 | 11 |
| Montague | PE | 782, 902 | 14 | 8 |
| Shubenacadie | NS | 782, 902 | 14 | 9 |
| Barrington | NS | 782, 902 | 13 | 8 |
| Digby | NS | 782, 902 | 13 | 8 |
| Alberton | PE | 782, 902 | 12 | 7 |
| Musquodoboit Harbour | NS | 782, 902 | 12 | 9 |
What a Oxford number tells you
A number attached to Oxford tells you that its prefix was issued to a carrier for this rate centre in Nova Scotia, most often Aliant Telecom (NS). 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 Nova Scotia area code is easy to borrow to look local.
Reading a register entry for Oxford: code 902-447 is recorded for Aliant Telecom (NS), so every 902-447-XXXX number (10,000 possible) descends from that assignment. “Oxford, Nova Scotia” there names a rate centre, not a municipality, and several area codes overlay it.
Every Oxford prefix
Each row is an in-service central-office code recorded for Oxford, with its original holder and year of assignment.
| Prefix | Carrier | Assigned |
|---|---|---|
| 782-281 | Distributel | 2018 |
| 782-604 | Fibernetics Corporation | 2021 |
| 902-447 | Aliant Telecom (NS) | undated |
| 902-552 | Bragg Communications Inc. | 2000 |
Frequently asked
What is the area code for Oxford?
Oxford does not have one area code but 2: 782 and 902. The best-stocked is 782. All are dialled with ten digits and none is “more local” than another.
Is a call from Oxford a cellphone or a landline?
More likely a landline or a VoIP service: mobility brands hold only 0.0% of Oxford’s prefixes.
Which carrier is behind a Oxford number?
In the register, Aliant Telecom (NS) holds the most prefixes in Oxford (1 of 4), ahead of 3 other carriers. Code 902-447, for instance, belongs to Aliant Telecom (NS).
Is this Oxford 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 Oxford?
The latest code brought into service is 782-604, assigned to Fibernetics Corporation on July 23, 2021. At the other end, the oldest dated prefix, 902-552, goes to Bragg Communications Inc. (December 7, 2000). 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.
Oxford, NS
782-281 · 782-604 · 902-447 · 902-552
Elsewhere in Nova Scotia
| Rate centre | Province | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port Hawkesbury | NS | 12 | 8 |
| Caledonia | NS | 11 | 7 |
| Shelburne | NS | 11 | 8 |
| Middleton | NS | 10 | 6 |
| Weymouth | NS | 10 | 5 |
| Parrsboro | NS | 9 | 7 |
| Sackville | NS | 9 | 6 |
| Annapolis Royal | NS | 8 | 6 |
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.