Phone prefixes in Penhold, AB
Penhold, AB is a rate centre in the Canadian numbering plan. CNAC records 5 in-service prefixes there, held by 5 carriers and spread across 2 area codes (825, 403). With 5 prefixes, Penhold is a small rate centre within Alberta: 98th of 337, holding 0.2% 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
- 5
- Area codes
- 2
- Provinces and territories
- 1
- First assignment
- June 2, 2008
- Most recent assignment
- March 7, 2022
Penhold’s share of its area codes
Within area code 825, Penhold accounts for only 3 of 769 prefixes (0.4%): the code is dominated by Calgary and spread over 301 rate centres. Within area code 403, Penhold accounts for only 2 of 781 prefixes (0.3%): the code is dominated by Calgary and spread over 142 rate centres.
| Area codes | Prefixes here | Prefixes in code | Share | Range | Largest rate centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 825 | 3 | 769 | 0.4 % | 825-528 – 825-787 | Calgary |
| 403 | 2 | 781 | 0.3 % | 403-573 – 403-886 | Calgary |
Who holds these numbers
Distributel holds the largest share at 1 prefixes, 20.0% of the total, ahead of 4 other carriers. Code by code: in 825, Distributel leads with 1 of 3 prefixes ahead of 2 others; in 403, Shaw Telecom Inc. leads with 1 of 2 prefixes ahead of 1 others. No carrier holds prefixes in every one of Penhold’s 2 area codes, while 5 appear in just one.
| Carrier | 825 | 403 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distributel | 1 | — | 1 |
| ISP Telecom Inc. | 1 | — | 1 |
| Shaw Telecom Inc. | — | 1 | 1 |
| TELUS | — | 1 | 1 |
| Videotron Ltd. | 1 | — | 1 |
Wireless and wireline
None of Penhold’s holders carries a mobility brand in its registered name: all 5 prefixes belong to wireline or wholesale carriers, among them Distributel, ISP Telecom Inc, Shaw Telecom Inc and TELUS. A call showing a Penhold number therefore nominally comes from a landline, cable or VoIP platform rather than a locally assigned cellphone.
How the allocation was built up
Penhold’s dated assignments run from 2008 to 2022. The busiest period was 2015–2019, when 2 prefixes went to 2 carriers. 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.
Penhold’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 2008. The most recent arrivals are ISP Telecom Inc. (2022), Videotron Ltd. (2018) and Distributel (2016), a sign that new carriers are still asking for numbers in Penhold.
Penhold 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.
No single carrier dominates Penhold: the leader, Distributel, holds only 20.0% of the prefixes against 4 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: 25.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2005–2009 | 1 | 1 |
| 2015–2019 | 2 | 2 |
| 2020–2024 | 1 | 1 |
1 undated in the register.
Dialling a Penhold number
Penhold is served by 2 overlaid area codes (825 and 403). A 403 number is no more “out of town” than a 825 one; from abroad, dial +1 and the full ten digits.
The numbering neighbourhood
Penhold shares area codes 825 and 403 with at least 20 other rate centres, including Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, High River, Canmore and Banff. The largest of them, Calgary, holds 516 prefixes in 403 and 825; the smallest on the list, Okotoks, has just 10.
| Rate centre | Province | Shared codes | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary | AB | 403, 825 | 516 | 20 |
| Edmonton | AB | 825 | 91 | 12 |
| Red Deer | AB | 403, 825 | 51 | 10 |
| Lethbridge | AB | 403, 825 | 42 | 10 |
| Medicine Hat | AB | 403, 825 | 30 | 10 |
| High River | AB | 403, 825 | 20 | 11 |
| Canmore | AB | 403, 825 | 18 | 11 |
| Banff | AB | 403, 825 | 16 | 10 |
| Strathmore | AB | 403, 825 | 15 | 9 |
| Brooks | AB | 403, 825 | 14 | 6 |
| Airdrie | AB | 403, 825 | 13 | 8 |
| Drumheller | AB | 403, 825 | 13 | 8 |
| Fox Creek | AB | 825 | 13 | 4 |
| Olds | AB | 403, 825 | 13 | 9 |
| Rocky Mountain House | AB | 403, 825 | 13 | 9 |
| Pincher Creek | AB | 403, 825 | 12 | 9 |
| Cochrane | AB | 403, 825 | 10 | 7 |
| Crowsnest Pass | AB | 403, 825 | 10 | 6 |
| Hanna | AB | 403, 825 | 10 | 7 |
| Okotoks | AB | 403, 825 | 10 | 7 |
What a Penhold number tells you
A number attached to Penhold 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 5 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 Penhold: code 825-648 is recorded for Distributel, so every 825-648-XXXX number (10,000 possible) descends from that assignment. “Penhold, Alberta” there names a rate centre, not a municipality, and several area codes overlay it.
Every Penhold prefix
Each row is an in-service central-office code recorded for Penhold, with its original holder and year of assignment.
| Prefix | Carrier | Assigned |
|---|---|---|
| 403-573 | Shaw Telecom Inc. | 2008 |
| 403-886 | TELUS | undated |
| 825-528 | Videotron Ltd. | 2018 |
| 825-648 | Distributel | 2016 |
| 825-787 | ISP Telecom Inc. | 2022 |
Frequently asked
What is the area code for Penhold?
Penhold does not have one area code but 2: 825 and 403. The best-stocked is 825. All are dialled with ten digits and none is “more local” than another.
Is a call from Penhold a cellphone or a landline?
More likely a landline or a VoIP service: mobility brands hold only 0.0% of Penhold’s prefixes.
Which carrier is behind a Penhold number?
In the register, Distributel holds the most prefixes in Penhold (1 of 5), ahead of 4 other carriers. Code 825-648, for instance, belongs to Distributel.
Is this Penhold 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 Penhold?
The latest code brought into service is 825-787, assigned to ISP Telecom Inc. on March 7, 2022. At the other end, the oldest dated prefix, 403-573, goes to Shaw Telecom Inc. (June 2, 2008). 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.
Penhold, AB
403-573 · 403-886 · 825-528 · 825-648 · 825-787
Elsewhere in Alberta
| Rate centre | Province | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort McMurray | AB | 62 | 13 |
| Grande Prairie | AB | 49 | 13 |
| Sherwood Park | AB | 25 | 8 |
| Peace River | AB | 24 | 10 |
| St. Albert | AB | 23 | 8 |
| Leduc | AB | 21 | 10 |
| Lloydminster | AB | 21 | 9 |
| Camrose | AB | 20 | 11 |
| Drayton Valley | AB | 18 | 7 |
| Edson | AB | 18 | 9 |
| Bonnyville | AB | 17 | 7 |
| High Level | AB | 17 | 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.