700 Area Code
Carrier-specific services and carrier identification (1-700-555-4141)
The 700 area code is reserved for Interexchange Carrier Services. Each long-distance carrier controls its own 700 numbers — the same number can reach completely different destinations depending on the carrier.
How 700 is used
A call to a 1-700-XXX-XXXX number is routed by the originating LEC to whichever interexchange carrier the subscriber has presubscribed to, so the same 700 number can reach completely different destinations depending on the carrier. The best-known number is 1-700-555-4141, which announces the caller's long-distance carrier and is widely used to detect 'slamming.' 700 is also used inside private and VoIP networks for testing and for routing between sites under a unified dial plan.
- Purpose
- Carrier-specific services and carrier identification (1-700-555-4141)
- Assignee
- Individual interexchange carriers (each IXC controls its own 700 numbers)
- Dialed as
- 1-700-NXX-XXXX
History
Creation: Area code 700 was introduced into the NANP on January 1, 1984 as the 127th area code in service, immediately after the AT&T divestiture, to give competing long-distance carriers a code where they could rapidly deploy their own services. Unlike geographic NPAs, 700 does not belong to any single administrator: each interexchange carrier controls its own 700 numbers. Its original consumer-facing role has largely been deprecated but it remains in use for testing and for the well-known 1-700-555-4141 carrier-identification service.
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 700 contains 0 or 1, it has no mnemonic letter equivalent.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_code_700.
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 700 used for?
700 is a special-use area code in the North American Numbering Plan. The 700 area code is reserved for Interexchange Carrier Services. Each long-distance carrier controls its own 700 numbers — the same number can reach completely different destinations depending on the carrier.
How is 700 dialed?
Numbers in 700 are dialed as a full ten-digit number (1-700-NXX-XXXX). It is a non-geographic area code, so 1-700 numbers are not tied to any city or state.
Who assigns 700 numbers?
Individual interexchange carriers (each IXC controls its own 700 numbers)
When did area code 700 go into service?
Area code 700 was placed into service on January 1, 1984. It was the 127th area code in service.