Numbering Scheme

The Swedish numbering plan is managed by Post- & Telestyrelsen since 1 July 1993 (the day Telia was formed).

Sweden uses a geographical numbering scheme with area codes of the form 08 for greater Stockholm, 0xx for major cities and very densely populated areas such as Skåne (Scania) and 0xxx for country side and smaller cities. The old idea was that the area codes should be of about the same size.

Post- & Telestyrelsen (regulatory body) has decided that all new number series are to be 0 plus nine digits. European emergency number 112 is to be introduced 1 July 1996. The older 90 000 will be used in parallel with 112 for many years to come. There are more than 100 area codes. A geographical number is on one of the following formats:

0xxx-xxx xx 0xxx-xx xx xx
0xx-xxx xx 0xx-xx xx xx 0xx-xxx xx xx
08-xx xx xx 08-xxx xx xx 08-xxx xxx xx

Please note the way the 08 eight digit numbers are written. This is because e.g. 0762-7xx xx became 08-511 7xx xx. I.e. one just adds 511 in front of the old number and change the area code. Of course this was neither PTS' nor Telia's intention, but people tend to be a bit conservative. Tele2 on the other hand writes their new numbers as e.g. 08-5620 00 00 or 08-56 20 00 00 for Kinnevik.

The merger of 08 and the twelve 07xx codes was partly to make room for more area codes and partly to bring together all of greater Stockholm under one area code. Hint, hint Oftel (0171, 0181 vs 010) and FCC (overlays and splits). 0756 (Ekerö) only used number series 2, 3 and 4 so they were all converted to 08-560 where as most of the other codes were split geographically, e.g. 0759 (Märsta) became 590, 591, 592 and 593.

Note: The way numbers are written below depends on the way they are marketed, i.e. Europolitan markets 0708 as the ``personal mobile number'' although 070-8 is means exactly the same thing. From a mobile you always have to dial area code.

Prefixes & number series

Number Use Operator Note
00 Int prefix default No later than 1 January '99
007 Int and carrier prefix Tele2 also 007 08...
008x Int and carrier prefix filled
0080x Int and carrier prefix
009 Int prefix Telia

010-yxx xx xx NMT450, NMT900 (mixed) Telia Mobitel y = 2, 3 or 6

020-(x)xx xx xx  Toll free Telia
0200-yxx Toll free Telia special, y = 0, 1, 3..9
0200-2x xx xx Toll free Tele2
0200-8x xx xx Toll free Telenordia

0700-xxx xx xx Personal numbers NOT to Replace 0701 and 0702! 075 will be used instead
0701-yx xx xx Personal numbers Telia: y = 1..5 Moving to 075
0702-xx xx xx Personal numbers reserved Only allocations, no use
070-4xx xx xx GSM Comviq GSM 
070-4x xx xx Comviq 450i Comvik 450 now GSM, see above (note the spelling)
070-5xx xx xx GSM Telia Mobitel
070-6xx xx xx GSM Telia Mobitel
070-7xx xx xx GSM Comviq GSM 
0708-xx xx xx GSM Europolitan owned by Nordic Tel
0709-xx xx xx GSM Europolitan Not in use

071-(x)xx xx xx Premium Telia to be phased out
072-xx xx xx Dirty premium Telia to be phased out

0740-xx xx xx Pager (Minicall Privat) Telia Mobitel No-contract pager
0746-xx xx xx Pager (Minicall) Telia Mobitel
0749-xx xx xx Pager (MBS) Telia Mobitel
077-(xxx) xx xx ``Shared cost numbers'', i.e. max LD charge Telia Some (Telia) 020 numbers are mapped here for int'l access
075-xxx xx xx Personal numbers At the moment only Telia The charge is the receiving carrier's LD charge
078-xx y... xx denotes carrier variable length, not in use, individual pricing
0900-xxx xx xx Premium (only Telia so far) shared individual pricing
0939-xxx xx xx Premium (only Telia so far) shared individual pricing
0944-xxx xx xx Premium (only Telia so far) shared individual pricing
90 xxx Telia customer service etc Telia free

Special numbers

Number Use Operator Note
020-0018 Overseas operator Telia also collect calls. Was 0018
020-0021 Telegram operator Telia cost of the telegram (expensive). Was 0021
020-0022 Telex enquiries Telia Was 0022
020-00 31 CLI filter Telia ``020-0031number#'' to hide your CLI. Out of service due to fraud! To many (hotels etc) thought it to be an ordinary ``toll-free call''. Dial ``#31#number'' as of late autumn 96
0740-99 88 77  Minicall Text operator Telia Mobitel 9.20 kr/min
0749-81 00 00 Check lost Minicall/MBS messages Telia Mobitel 2 kr flat rate

07975 Directory enquiries (nat) Telia Operator assist if calling from a Telia number. Tariffs
07976 Directory enquiries (nat) Telia If you're calling from a non-Telia phone or from an old EM station, this is were your call ends up. Tariffs
07977 International Directory enquiries Telia Tariffs
07979 Directory enquiries + call completion Telia Integrated into 07975
07998 Directory enquiries Tele2 Must be Tele2 "007"customer. 8kr flat fee. Tariffs
07999 Directory enquiries Tele2 Must be Tele2 "007"customer. Tariffs

112
Emergency * 1st of July 1996
90 000 Emergency * see under 112
90 130 Operator Telia overseas on 0018
90 200 Customer service Telia households
90 350 Telia Mobitel Telia (& Mobitel) Customer service etc
90 400 Customer service Telia businesses

Future Changes

Carrier prefix 119 and 95 have to be introduced ``before 1 January 1999'' according to a EU decree. This means that the 00xx operator were moved to 020-00xx on 1/2-97 to make way for 00; but most of all it means that equal access have to be introduced since the old carrier access codes on the 00x..x form have to be replaced by something longer. The current carrier access prefixes are Tele2's 007, Tele8's 0088, etc. competition

Unfortunately, the Swedish government has chose the easy way - and lost its lead. Instead of leading the way with a competitive market, the government has chose to follow the EU timetable. It is my belief that the Swedish telecomms market will be behind previous late-commers such as Germany and Denmark by 1999 if no steps are taken to accellerate the Swedish process of introducing more competition (at the moment the pace is very low).

The personal numbers in 0701 are to be moved to 075 in November 1997, thus increasing numbering space tenfold. The initial plans were to move 0701 and 0702 to 0700 while adding an extra digit, but it has become clear to PTS that personal numbers need have their own `identity', separate from 070 and GSM, and not longer numbers.

Number portability

Number portability hasn't been decided upon, a PTS white-paper is expected 1st quarter 1997 (originally November 1996). Natural targets would be toll-free and premium numbers, probably also personal and geographical numbers. Telia will do everything to stop this, the geographical number since that would introduce real competition and the personal numbers because Telia's platform is technically outdated.

Since number portability is of such a great importance to competition and Sweden never having promoted it, such as has been done in Britain, it is most likely that geographical numbers will be made portable - question is when and at what cost to the new carriers.

See also the part on the numbering problem from a competition point of view.

Surprisingly enough, there has been no moves on the account of PTS to even study operator portability for personal numbers!


Last modification: Mon Oct 6 12:35:00 1997 by Sam Spens Clason (mail, www)