Phone prefixes in Port Alice, BC
Port Alice, BC is a rate centre in the Canadian numbering plan. CNAC records 6 in-service prefixes there, held by 6 carriers and spread across 3 area codes (250, 236, 672). With 6 prefixes, Port Alice is a small rate centre within British Columbia: 96th of 309, holding 0.2% of the province’s prefixes, and 892nd 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 Port Alice is
- Province or territory
- British Columbia
- Census division
- Mount Waddington
- Local time
- — Pacific Time (PT), UTC−8; UTC−7 in daylight saving time
- Nearest rate centres
- Port Mcneill (31 km), Port Hardy (32 km), Sointula (41 km), Winter Harbour (41 km), Kyuquot (42 km)
Divisions and places: Statistics Canada and NRCan. Straight-line distances.
In numbers
- In-service prefixes
- 6
- Telephone numbers covered
- 60,000
- Carriers
- 6
- Area codes
- 3
- Provinces and territories
- 1
- First assignment
- February 19, 2004
- Most recent assignment
- September 15, 2021
Port Alice’s share of its area codes
Within area code 250, Port Alice accounts for only 3 of 781 prefixes (0.4%): the code is dominated by Victoria and spread over 268 rate centres. Within area code 236, Port Alice accounts for only 2 of 745 prefixes (0.3%): the code is dominated by Vancouver and spread over 269 rate centres. Within area code 672, Port Alice accounts for only 1 of 321 prefixes (0.3%): 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 | 3 | 781 | 0.4 % | 250-209 – 250-904 | Victoria |
| 236 | 2 | 745 | 0.3 % | 236-848 – 236-924 | Vancouver |
| 672 | 1 | 321 | 0.3 % | 672-786 – 672-786 | Vancouver |
Who holds these numbers
Bell Mobility holds the largest share at 1 prefixes, 16.7% of the total, ahead of 5 other carriers. Code by code: in 250, Bell Mobility leads with 1 of 3 prefixes ahead of 2 others; in 236, Distributel leads with 1 of 2 prefixes ahead of 1 others; ISP Telecom Inc. is the only holder in 672. No carrier holds prefixes in every one of Port Alice’s 3 area codes, while 6 appear in just one.
| Carrier | 250 | 236 | 672 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell Mobility | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Distributel | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| Fibernetics Corporation | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| ISP Telecom Inc. | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| TELUS | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| TELUS Mobility | 1 | — | — | 1 |
Wireless and wireline
2 of Port Alice’s 6 prefixes (33.3%) are held by carriers whose registered name marks a wireless business: Bell Mobility and TELUS Mobility. Wireline prefixes still outnumber them, carried by Distributel, Fibernetics Corporation, ISP Telecom Inc and TELUS. 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
Port Alice’s dated assignments run from 2004 to 2021. The busiest period was 2020–2024, when 2 prefixes went to 2 carriers. 1 prefixes (17%) carry no date in the register: these are the historic pre-1999 assignments, the wireline bedrock of the rate centre. Since 2020 another 2 prefixes have been added, so the rate centre is still growing.
Port Alice’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 Mobility in 2004. The most recent arrivals are ISP Telecom Inc. (2021), Fibernetics Corporation (2020) and Distributel (2016), a sign that new carriers are still asking for numbers in Port Alice.
Port Alice has just 6 prefixes (60,000 numbers): a very small rate centre, typical of a village or rural area served by a single switching office.
No single carrier dominates Port Alice: the leader, Bell Mobility, holds only 16.7% of the prefixes against 5 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: 40.0% of the dated prefixes go back to the last ten years, the most active period being 2020–2024. The rate centre is growing at a regular rather than explosive pace.
| Period | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–2004 | 1 | 1 |
| 2005–2009 | 1 | 1 |
| 2015–2019 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020–2024 | 2 | 2 |
1 undated in the register.
Dialling a Port Alice number
Port Alice is served by 3 overlaid area codes (250, 236 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
Port Alice shares area codes 250, 236 and 672 with at least 20 other rate centres, including Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, Abbotsford, Nanaimo, Prince George, South Kamloops and Cranbrook. The largest of them, Vancouver, holds 225 prefixes in 236 and 672; the smallest on the list, New Westminster, has just 14.
| Rate centre | Province | Shared codes | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | BC | 236, 672 | 225 | 13 |
| Victoria | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 127 | 13 |
| Kelowna | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 58 | 11 |
| Abbotsford | BC | 236, 672 | 38 | 11 |
| Nanaimo | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 38 | 12 |
| Prince George | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 34 | 8 |
| South Kamloops | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 34 | 10 |
| Cranbrook | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 28 | 7 |
| Vernon | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 28 | 8 |
| Penticton | BC | 236, 250 | 24 | 9 |
| Fort St. John | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 21 | 9 |
| Duncan | BC | 236, 250 | 20 | 8 |
| Courtenay | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 19 | 6 |
| North Vancouver | BC | 236, 672 | 19 | 5 |
| Parksville | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 18 | 11 |
| Campbell River | BC | 236, 250 | 17 | 9 |
| Salmon Arm | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 17 | 7 |
| 100 Mile House | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 16 | 5 |
| Aldergrove | BC | 236, 672 | 15 | 8 |
| New Westminster | BC | 236, 672 | 14 | 7 |
What a Port Alice number tells you
A number attached to Port Alice tells you that its prefix was issued to a carrier for this rate centre in British Columbia, most often Bell Mobility. It does not tell you where the handset is today: a subscriber may have ported the number to any of the 6 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 Port Alice: code 250-904 is recorded for Bell Mobility, so every 250-904-XXXX number (10,000 possible) descends from that assignment. “Port Alice, British Columbia” there names a rate centre, not a municipality, and several area codes overlay it.
Every Port Alice prefix
Each row is an in-service central-office code recorded for Port Alice, with its original holder and year of assignment.
| Prefix | Carrier | Assigned |
|---|---|---|
| 236-848 | Fibernetics Corporation | 2020 |
| 236-924 | Distributel | 2016 |
| 250-209 | TELUS Mobility | 2004 |
| 250-284 | TELUS | undated |
| 250-904 | Bell Mobility | 2007 |
| 672-786 | ISP Telecom Inc. | 2021 |
Had a call from a Port Alice 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 Port Alice?
Port Alice does not have one area code but 3: 250, 236 and 672. The best-stocked is 250. All are dialled with ten digits and none is “more local” than another.
Is a call from Port Alice a cellphone or a landline?
More likely a landline or a VoIP service: mobility brands hold only 33.3% of Port Alice’s prefixes.
Which carrier is behind a Port Alice number?
In the register, Bell Mobility holds the most prefixes in Port Alice (1 of 6), ahead of 5 other carriers. Code 250-904, for instance, belongs to Bell Mobility.
Is this Port Alice 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 Port Alice?
The latest code brought into service is 672-786, assigned to ISP Telecom Inc. on September 15, 2021. At the other end, the oldest dated prefix, 250-209, goes to TELUS Mobility (February 19, 2004). A number in a recent prefix almost always belongs to a subscriber who signed up after that date.
What time zone is Port Alice in?
Port Alice 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 6 in-service prefixes, grouped by rate centre.
Port Alice, BC
236-848 · 236-924 · 250-209 · 250-284 · 250-904 · 672-786
Elsewhere in British Columbia
| Rate centre | Province | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | BC | 73 | 15 |
| Newton | BC | 46 | 14 |
| 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 |
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.