Phone prefixes in Slave Lake, AB
Slave Lake, AB is a rate centre in the Canadian numbering plan. CNAC records 15 in-service prefixes there, held by 9 carriers and spread across 3 area codes (587, 780, 825). With 15 prefixes, Slave Lake is a small rate centre within Alberta: 32nd of 337, holding 0.5% of the province’s prefixes, and 291st 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 Slave Lake is
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- Census division
- Division No. 17
- Local time
- — Mountain Time (MT), UTC−7; UTC−6 in daylight saving time
- Nearest rate centres
- Widewater (19 km), Kinuso (42 km), Smith (48 km), Faust (53 km), Joussard (72 km)
Divisions and places: Statistics Canada and NRCan. Straight-line distances.
In numbers
- In-service prefixes
- 15
- Telephone numbers covered
- 150,000
- Carriers
- 9
- Area codes
- 3
- Provinces and territories
- 1
- First assignment
- July 4, 2001
- Most recent assignment
- August 16, 2021
Slave Lake’s share of its area codes
Within area code 587, Slave Lake accounts for only 6 of 779 prefixes (0.8%): the code is dominated by Calgary and spread over 137 rate centres. Within area code 780, Slave Lake accounts for only 6 of 780 prefixes (0.8%): the code is dominated by Edmonton and spread over 195 rate centres. Within area code 825, Slave Lake accounts for only 3 of 769 prefixes (0.4%): the code is dominated by Calgary and spread over 301 rate centres.
| Area codes | Prefixes here | Prefixes in code | Share | Range | Largest rate centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 587 | 6 | 779 | 0.8 % | 587-266 – 587-749 | Calgary |
| 780 | 6 | 780 | 0.8 % | 780-260 – 780-849 | Edmonton |
| 825 | 3 | 769 | 0.4 % | 825-219 – 825-551 | Calgary |
Who holds these numbers
TELUS holds the largest share at 5 prefixes, 33.3% of the total, ahead of 8 other carriers. Code by code: in 587, TELUS leads with 1 of 6 prefixes ahead of 5 others; in 780, TELUS leads with 3 of 6 prefixes ahead of 3 others; in 825, Iristel Inc. leads with 2 of 3 prefixes ahead of 1 others. 1 carrier holds prefixes in every one of Slave Lake’s 3 area codes, while 7 appear in just one.
| Carrier | 587 | 780 | 825 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TELUS | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| Iristel Inc. | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| TELUS Mobility | 1 | 1 | — | 2 |
| Bell Mobility | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| Bell West Inc. | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Bragg Communications Inc. | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Distributel | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Cable) | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Wireless) | — | 1 | — | 1 |
Wireless and wireline
4 of Slave Lake’s 15 prefixes (26.7%) are held by carriers whose registered name marks a wireless business: TELUS Mobility, Bell Mobility and Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Wireless). Wireline prefixes still outnumber them, carried by TELUS, Iristel Inc, Bell West Inc and Bragg Communications 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
Slave Lake’s dated assignments run from 2001 to 2021. The busiest period was 2010–2014, when 4 prefixes went to 4 carriers. 2 prefixes (13%) 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.
Slave Lake’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 2001. The most recent arrivals are Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Cable) (2017), Iristel Inc. (2016) and Bragg Communications Inc. (2016), a sign that new carriers are still asking for numbers in Slave Lake.
Slave Lake has only 15 prefixes, or 150,000 numbers: a small rate centre, where the arrival of a single new carrier visibly changes the landscape.
No single carrier dominates Slave Lake: the leader, TELUS, holds only 33.3% of the prefixes against 8 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 7.7% of the dated prefixes are less than ten years old, most having been handed out in 2010–2014, and 2 prefixes go back to the undated monopoly era. New Slave Lake numbers mostly come out of blocks that were assigned long ago.
| Period | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–2004 | 1 | 1 |
| 2005–2009 | 3 | 3 |
| 2010–2014 | 4 | 4 |
| 2015–2019 | 4 | 4 |
| 2020–2024 | 1 | 1 |
2 undated in the register.
Dialling a Slave Lake number
Slave Lake is served by 3 overlaid area codes (587, 780 and 825). A 825 number is no more “out of town” than a 587 one; from abroad, dial +1 and the full ten digits.
The numbering neighbourhood
Slave Lake shares area codes 587, 780 and 825 with at least 20 other rate centres, including Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Sherwood Park and Peace River. The largest of them, Edmonton, holds 489 prefixes in 587, 780 and 825; the smallest on the list, High Level, has just 16.
| Rate centre | Province | Shared codes | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 489 | 18 |
| Calgary | AB | 587, 825 | 341 | 18 |
| Fort McMurray | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 60 | 13 |
| Grande Prairie | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 49 | 13 |
| Red Deer | AB | 587, 825 | 31 | 13 |
| Lethbridge | AB | 587, 825 | 25 | 12 |
| Sherwood Park | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 25 | 8 |
| Peace River | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 24 | 10 |
| St. Albert | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 23 | 8 |
| Fox Creek | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 21 | 9 |
| Leduc | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 21 | 10 |
| Lloydminster | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 21 | 9 |
| Medicine Hat | AB | 587, 825 | 21 | 10 |
| Camrose | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 20 | 11 |
| Drayton Valley | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 18 | 7 |
| Edson | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 18 | 9 |
| Banff | AB | 587, 825 | 17 | 10 |
| Bonnyville | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 17 | 7 |
| High River | AB | 587, 825 | 17 | 10 |
| High Level | AB | 587, 780, 825 | 16 | 6 |
What a Slave Lake number tells you
A number attached to Slave Lake tells you that its prefix was issued to a carrier for this rate centre in Alberta, most often TELUS. It does not tell you where the handset is today: a subscriber may have ported the number to any of the 9 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 Slave Lake: code 587-618 is recorded for TELUS, so every 587-618-XXXX number (10,000 possible) descends from that assignment. “Slave Lake, Alberta” there names a rate centre, not a municipality, and several area codes overlay it.
Every Slave Lake prefix
Each row is an in-service central-office code recorded for Slave Lake, with its original holder and year of assignment.
| Prefix | Carrier | Assigned |
|---|---|---|
| 587-266 | Bell West Inc. | 2010 |
| 587-516 | TELUS Mobility | 2011 |
| 587-618 | TELUS | 2013 |
| 587-626 | Bragg Communications Inc. | 2016 |
| 587-669 | Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Cable) | 2017 |
| 587-749 | Distributel | 2013 |
| 780-260 | Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Wireless) | 2006 |
| 780-516 | TELUS Mobility | 2007 |
| 780-529 | Bell Mobility | 2007 |
| 780-805 | TELUS | undated |
| 780-843 | TELUS | 2001 |
| 780-849 | TELUS | undated |
| 825-219 | TELUS | 2018 |
| 825-251 | Iristel Inc. | 2016 |
| 825-551 | Iristel Inc. | 2021 |
Had a call from a Slave Lake 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 Slave Lake?
Slave Lake does not have one area code but 3: 587, 780 and 825. The best-stocked is 587. All are dialled with ten digits and none is “more local” than another.
Is a call from Slave Lake a cellphone or a landline?
More likely a landline or a VoIP service: mobility brands hold only 26.7% of Slave Lake’s prefixes.
Which carrier is behind a Slave Lake number?
In the register, TELUS holds the most prefixes in Slave Lake (5 of 15), ahead of 8 other carriers. Code 587-618, for instance, belongs to TELUS.
Is this Slave Lake 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 Slave Lake?
The latest code brought into service is 825-551, assigned to Iristel Inc. on August 16, 2021. At the other end, the oldest dated prefix, 780-843, goes to TELUS (July 4, 2001). A number in a recent prefix almost always belongs to a subscriber who signed up after that date.
What time zone is Slave Lake in?
Slave Lake is on Mountain Time (MT, UTC−7), with daylight saving time (UTC−6) from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
Allocated prefixes
All 15 in-service prefixes, grouped by rate centre.
Slave Lake, AB
587-266 · 587-516 · 587-618 · 587-626 · 587-669 · 587-749 · 780-260 · 780-516 · 780-529 · 780-805 · 780-843 · 780-849 · 825-219 · 825-251 · 825-551
Elsewhere in Alberta
| Rate centre | Province | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canmore | AB | 26 | 13 |
| Airdrie | AB | 23 | 10 |
| Strathmore | AB | 22 | 12 |
| Brooks | AB | 19 | 9 |
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.