Phone prefixes in Spirit River, AB
Spirit River, AB is a rate centre in the Canadian numbering plan. CNAC records 7 in-service prefixes there, held by 5 carriers and spread across 3 area codes (780, 825, 587). With 7 prefixes, Spirit River 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 Spirit River is
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- Census division
- Division No. 19
- Local time
- — Mountain Time (MT), UTC−7; UTC−6 in daylight saving time
- Nearest rate centres
- Rycroft (8 km), Woking (21 km), Wanham (28 km), Fairview (42 km), Sexsmith (47 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
- 3
- Provinces and territories
- 1
- First assignment
- October 28, 2005
- Most recent assignment
- September 16, 2022
Spirit River’s share of its area codes
Within area code 780, Spirit River accounts for only 4 of 780 prefixes (0.5%): the code is dominated by Edmonton and spread over 195 rate centres. Within area code 825, Spirit River accounts for only 2 of 770 prefixes (0.3%): the code is dominated by Calgary and spread over 301 rate centres. Within area code 587, Spirit River accounts for only 1 of 779 prefixes (0.1%): the code is dominated by Calgary and spread over 137 rate centres.
| Area codes | Prefixes here | Prefixes in code | Share | Range | Largest rate centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 780 | 4 | 780 | 0.5 % | 780-500 – 780-864 | Edmonton |
| 825 | 2 | 770 | 0.3 % | 825-280 – 825-949 | Calgary |
| 587 | 1 | 779 | 0.1 % | 587-849 – 587-849 | Calgary |
Who holds these numbers
Iristel Inc. holds the largest share at 2 prefixes, 28.6% of the total, ahead of 4 other carriers. Code by code: in 780, TELUS leads with 2 of 4 prefixes ahead of 2 others; in 825, Iristel Inc. leads with 1 of 2 prefixes ahead of 1 others; Iristel Inc. is the only holder in 587. No carrier holds prefixes in every one of Spirit River’s 3 area codes, while 4 appear in just one.
| Carrier | 780 | 825 | 587 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iristel Inc. | — | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| TELUS | 2 | — | — | 2 |
| Bell Mobility | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Distributel | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| TELUS Mobility | 1 | — | — | 1 |
Wireless and wireline
2 of Spirit River’s 7 prefixes (28.6%) are held by carriers whose registered name marks a wireless business: Bell Mobility and TELUS Mobility. Wireline prefixes still outnumber them, carried by Iristel Inc, TELUS and Distributel. 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
Spirit River’s dated assignments run from 2005 to 2022. 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. Since 2020 another 1 prefixes have been added, so the rate centre is still growing.
Spirit River’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 2005. The most recent arrivals are Distributel (2018), Iristel Inc. (2016) and Bell Mobility (2007), a sign that new carriers are still asking for numbers in Spirit River.
Spirit River 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 Spirit River: the leader, Iristel Inc., 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 16.7% 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 Spirit River numbers mostly come out of blocks that were assigned long ago.
The register also shows 1 prefix assigned but not yet in service in Spirit River (Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Wireless)): numbers that will start showing up on call displays in the coming months.
| Period | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|
| 2005–2009 | 3 | 3 |
| 2015–2019 | 2 | 2 |
| 2020–2024 | 1 | 1 |
1 undated in the register.
Dialling a Spirit River number
Spirit River is served by 3 overlaid area codes (780, 825 and 587). A 587 number is no more “out of town” than a 780 one; from abroad, dial +1 and the full ten digits.
The numbering neighbourhood
Spirit River shares area codes 780, 825 and 587 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 | 342 | 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 Spirit River number tells you
A number attached to Spirit River tells you that its prefix was issued to a carrier for this rate centre in Alberta, most often Iristel Inc.. 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 Spirit River: code 825-949 is recorded for Iristel Inc., so every 825-949-XXXX number (10,000 possible) descends from that assignment. “Spirit River, Alberta” there names a rate centre, not a municipality, and several area codes overlay it.
Every Spirit River prefix
Each row is an in-service central-office code recorded for Spirit River, with its original holder and year of assignment.
| Prefix | Carrier | Assigned |
|---|---|---|
| 587-849 | Iristel Inc. | 2016 |
| 780-500 | TELUS Mobility | 2007 |
| 780-506 | TELUS | 2005 |
| 780-557 | Bell Mobility | 2007 |
| 780-864 | TELUS | undated |
| 825-280 | Distributel | 2018 |
| 825-949 | Iristel Inc. | 2022 |
Had a call from a Spirit River 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 Spirit River?
Spirit River does not have one area code but 3: 780, 825 and 587. The best-stocked is 780. All are dialled with ten digits and none is “more local” than another.
Is a call from Spirit River a cellphone or a landline?
More likely a landline or a VoIP service: mobility brands hold only 28.6% of Spirit River’s prefixes.
Which carrier is behind a Spirit River number?
In the register, Iristel Inc. holds the most prefixes in Spirit River (2 of 7), ahead of 4 other carriers. Code 825-949, for instance, belongs to Iristel Inc..
Is this Spirit River 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 Spirit River?
The latest code brought into service is 825-949, assigned to Iristel Inc. on September 16, 2022. At the other end, the oldest dated prefix, 780-506, goes to TELUS (October 28, 2005). A number in a recent prefix almost always belongs to a subscriber who signed up after that date.
What time zone is Spirit River in?
Spirit River 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.
Spirit River, AB
587-849 · 780-500 · 780-506 · 780-557 · 780-864 · 825-280 · 825-949
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.