Phone prefixes in Smoky Lake, AB
Smoky Lake, AB is a rate centre in the Canadian numbering plan. CNAC records 7 in-service prefixes there, held by 5 carriers and spread across 2 area codes (780, 825). With 7 prefixes, Smoky Lake is a small rate centre within Alberta: 67th of 337, holding 0.2% of the province’s prefixes, and 728th 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 Smoky Lake is
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- Census division
- Division No. 12
- Local time
- — Mountain Time (MT), UTC−7; UTC−6 in daylight saving time
- Nearest rate centres
- Warspite (8 km), Waskatenau (19 km), Andrew (26 km), Radway (30 km), St. Michael (32 km)
Divisions and places: Statistics Canada and NRCan. Straight-line distances.
In numbers
- In-service prefixes
- 7
- Telephone numbers covered
- 70,000
- Carriers
- 5
- Area codes
- 2
- Provinces and territories
- 1
- First assignment
- March 19, 2003
- Most recent assignment
- January 2, 2018
Smoky Lake’s share of its area codes
Within area code 780, Smoky Lake accounts for only 5 of 780 prefixes (0.6%): the code is dominated by Edmonton and spread over 195 rate centres. Within area code 825, Smoky Lake accounts for only 2 of 770 prefixes (0.3%): the code is dominated by Calgary and spread over 301 rate centres.
| Area codes | Prefixes here | Prefixes in code | Share | Range | Largest rate centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 780 | 5 | 780 | 0.6 % | 780-258 – 780-656 | Edmonton |
| 825 | 2 | 770 | 0.3 % | 825-217 – 825-843 | Calgary |
Who holds these numbers
TELUS holds the largest share at 2 prefixes, 28.6% of the total, ahead of 4 other carriers. Code by code: in 780, TELUS Mobility leads with 2 of 5 prefixes ahead of 3 others; in 825, TELUS leads with 1 of 2 prefixes ahead of 1 others. 1 carrier holds prefixes in every one of Smoky Lake’s 2 area codes, while 4 appear in just one.
| Carrier | 780 | 825 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| TELUS | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| TELUS Mobility | 2 | — | 2 |
| Bell Mobility | 1 | — | 1 |
| Distributel | — | 1 | 1 |
| Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Wireless) | 1 | — | 1 |
Wireless and wireline
4 of Smoky Lake’s 7 prefixes (57.1%) are held by carriers whose registered name marks a wireless business: TELUS Mobility, Bell Mobility and Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Wireless). That makes this a mostly mobile rate centre, which is typical of recent allocations: new prefixes go overwhelmingly to cellphones. 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
Smoky Lake’s dated assignments run from 2003 to 2018. The busiest period was 2005–2009, when 3 prefixes went to 3 carriers. 1 prefixes (14%) carry no date in the register: these are the historic pre-1999 assignments, the wireline bedrock of the rate centre. No prefix has been added since 2020: demand for numbers in Smoky Lake is flat.
Smoky 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 Mobility in 2003. The most recent arrivals are TELUS (2018), Distributel (2016) and Bell Mobility (2007), a sign that new carriers are still asking for numbers in Smoky Lake.
Smoky Lake has just 7 prefixes (70,000 numbers): a very small rate centre, typical of a village or rural area served by a single switching office.
No single carrier dominates Smoky Lake: the leader, TELUS, holds only 28.6% 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.
Allocation is mature: only 0.0% of the dated prefixes are less than ten years old, most having been handed out in 2005–2009, and 1 prefixes go back to the undated monopoly era. New Smoky Lake numbers mostly come out of blocks that were assigned long ago.
| Period | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–2004 | 1 | 1 |
| 2005–2009 | 3 | 3 |
| 2015–2019 | 2 | 2 |
1 undated in the register.
Dialling a Smoky Lake number
Smoky Lake is served by 2 overlaid area codes (780 and 825). A 825 number is no more “out of town” than a 780 one; from abroad, dial +1 and the full ten digits.
The numbering neighbourhood
Smoky Lake shares area codes 780 and 825 with at least 20 other rate centres, including Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Fox Creek, Peace River, St. Albert and Sherwood Park. The largest of them, Edmonton, holds 365 prefixes in 780 and 825; the smallest on the list, High River, has just 9.
| Rate centre | Province | Shared codes | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton | AB | 780, 825 | 365 | 17 |
| Calgary | AB | 825 | 147 | 15 |
| Fort McMurray | AB | 780, 825 | 35 | 8 |
| Grande Prairie | AB | 780, 825 | 33 | 10 |
| Fox Creek | AB | 780, 825 | 20 | 9 |
| Peace River | AB | 780, 825 | 18 | 6 |
| St. Albert | AB | 780, 825 | 17 | 6 |
| Sherwood Park | AB | 780, 825 | 15 | 5 |
| Drayton Valley | AB | 780, 825 | 14 | 7 |
| Lloydminster | AB | 780, 825 | 14 | 6 |
| Camrose | AB | 780, 825 | 13 | 7 |
| Edson | AB | 780, 825 | 13 | 7 |
| Bonnyville | AB | 780, 825 | 12 | 6 |
| Wetaskiwin | AB | 780, 825 | 12 | 7 |
| High Level | AB | 780, 825 | 11 | 5 |
| Leduc | AB | 780, 825 | 11 | 5 |
| Red Deer | AB | 825 | 11 | 6 |
| St. Paul | AB | 780, 825 | 11 | 7 |
| Lethbridge | AB | 825 | 10 | 6 |
| High River | AB | 825 | 9 | 5 |
What a Smoky Lake number tells you
A number attached to Smoky 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: most of Smoky Lake’s prefixes are mobile, and a cellphone keeps its number when its owner moves across the country. 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 Smoky Lake: code 780-656 is recorded for TELUS, so every 780-656-XXXX number (10,000 possible) descends from that assignment. “Smoky Lake, Alberta” there names a rate centre, not a municipality, and several area codes overlay it.
Every Smoky Lake prefix
Each row is an in-service central-office code recorded for Smoky Lake, with its original holder and year of assignment.
| Prefix | Carrier | Assigned |
|---|---|---|
| 780-258 | Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Wireless) | 2006 |
| 780-521 | TELUS Mobility | 2007 |
| 780-551 | Bell Mobility | 2007 |
| 780-650 | TELUS Mobility | 2003 |
| 780-656 | TELUS | undated |
| 825-217 | TELUS | 2018 |
| 825-843 | Distributel | 2016 |
Had a call from a Smoky 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 Smoky Lake?
Smoky Lake does not have one area code but 2: 780 and 825. The best-stocked is 780. All are dialled with ten digits and none is “more local” than another.
Is a call from Smoky Lake a cellphone or a landline?
Most likely a cellphone: 57.1% of Smoky Lake’s prefixes are held by mobility brands.
Which carrier is behind a Smoky Lake number?
In the register, TELUS holds the most prefixes in Smoky Lake (2 of 7), ahead of 4 other carriers. Code 780-656, for instance, belongs to TELUS.
Is this Smoky 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 Smoky Lake?
The latest code brought into service is 825-217, assigned to TELUS on January 2, 2018. At the other end, the oldest dated prefix, 780-650, goes to TELUS Mobility (March 19, 2003). A number in a recent prefix almost always belongs to a subscriber who signed up after that date.
What time zone is Smoky Lake in?
Smoky 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 7 in-service prefixes, grouped by rate centre.
Smoky Lake, AB
780-258 · 780-521 · 780-551 · 780-650 · 780-656 · 825-217 · 825-843
Elsewhere in Alberta
| Rate centre | Province | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine Hat | AB | 44 | 13 |
| Banff | AB | 31 | 13 |
| 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.