600 Area Code
Canadian non-geographic services (telex, satellite, ISDN, IoT)
The 600 area code is reserved for Canadian non-geographic tariffed services. It is the Canadian counterpart to the US 5YY non-geographic codes.
How 600 is used
Numbers in 600 are used by Canadian providers for services not tied to any geographic rate center: satellite telephony in northern Canada, caller-pays cellular, ISDN, and now IoT/M2M devices. Codes within 600 are awarded only to CRTC-approved services, and the area code is dialed as a full ten-digit number (1-600-NXX-XXXX).
- Purpose
- Canadian non-geographic services (telex, satellite, ISDN, IoT)
- Assignee
- Canadian Numbering Administrator (CNA) under CRTC guidelines
- Dialed as
- 1-600-NXX-XXXX
History
Creation: Area code 600 became effective on October 1, 1993, when the specialized teletypewriter-exchange (TWX/telex) services that had been carried on Canadian area code 610 since 1962 were reassigned to it, freeing 610 for the geographic pool. The CRTC issued separate guidelines defining 600 as Canada's home for non-geographic tariffed services. In September 2025 the CRTC further expanded 600 with 768 new central-office codes specifically for Internet of Things services — adding 7.68 million numbers.
Relieved: Area code 600 was activated to relieve 610 (legacy TWX/telex code, reassigned).
Mnemonics: Prior to 1995, the middle digit of area codes was restricted to 0 or 1, which do not correspond to letters on a phone's dialing pad. Because 600 contains 0 or 1, it has no mnemonic letter equivalent.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_code_600, crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2025/2025-224.htm.
Other special-use area codes
Same-category codes first, then the rest of the NANP special-use portfolio.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is area code 600 used for?
600 is a special-use area code in the North American Numbering Plan. The 600 area code is reserved for Canadian non-geographic tariffed services. It is the Canadian counterpart to the US 5YY non-geographic codes.
How is 600 dialed?
Numbers in 600 are dialed as a full ten-digit number (1-600-NXX-XXXX). It is a non-geographic area code, so 1-600 numbers are not tied to any city or state.
Who assigns 600 numbers?
Canadian Numbering Administrator (CNA) under CRTC guidelines
What did 600 relieve or replace?
Area code 600 was activated to relieve 610 (legacy TWX/telex code, reassigned) as that pool of numbers neared exhaustion.
When did area code 600 go into service?
Area code 600 was placed into service on October 1, 1993. It was the 1st area code used for Canadian non-geographic tariffed services.