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Area codes 613, 343, and 753
Area codes 613, 343, and 753
Area codes 613, 343, and 753
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Area codes 613, 343, and 753 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for Ottawa and surrounding Eastern Ontario, Canada. Area code 613 is one of the 86 original North American area codes assigned in October 1947. Area codes 343 and 753 were assigned to the numbering plan area in an overlay activated in 2010 and 2022, respectively.

History

[edit]
Evolution of area codes in Ontario and southwestern Quebec

Area code 613 was originally assigned to a numbering plan area that comprised the vast northern part of Ontario, north of Southern Ontario with the Golden Horseshoe. Southern Ontario was assigned the area code 416. Numbering plan area 613 was split twice. In 1953, the southwestern portion of 613 was combined with the western part of 416 to become numbering plan area 519. In 1957, northwestern part of 613 was combined with the northern part of 519 to receive area code 705. Since 1957 and the implementation of Direct Distance Dialing (DDD), 613 comprises only eastern Ontario, an area extending from Brighton and Deep River eastward to Saint Regis, Quebec.

Ottawa and its twin city in Quebec, Gatineau, fall on the boundary between 613 and Quebec's area code 819. Ottawa shares a local calling area with the former city of Hull, Quebec (now part of the city of Gatineau). As a result, for 46 years, calls could be dialed between Ottawa and Hull with only seven digits.

While the geographic area served by 613, has fewer than two million people, the bulk of that population lives in the Ottawa area. To preserve seven-digit dialling between Ottawa and Hull, a system of central office code protection was implemented so that the same seven-digit local number could not be assigned on both sides of the National Capital Region. Technically, it was only necessary that no two prefixes within the same local calling area be duplicates, but the code protection, as implemented, reserved the numbers across both area codes. This meant that if an 819-number was dialed in Hull, the corresponding 613-number could not be used anywhere in eastern Ontario, even in areas a safe distance from the National Capital Region such as Brighton. Similarly, if a 613-number was assigned in Ottawa–Carleton, the corresponding 819-number could not be used anywhere in western Quebec. Federal government offices in Hull duplicated their entire allocation of multiple exchanges worth of numbers available in 613 as part of a "dual dialability" scheme.

By the turn of the century, both 613 and 819 were close to exhaustion. Every competitive local exchange carrier received blocks of 10,000 numbers, corresponding to a single prefix, in every rate centre in which it planned to offer local service, no matter how small. Larger municipalities have multiple rate centres and multiple competing carriers in each. For instance, even though Ottawa has been a single municipality since merging with the Regional Municipality of Ottawa–Carleton in 2001, it still has 11 rate centres (plus portions of other rate centres primarily located beyond the city limits) – most with very similar local calling areas – which have never been amalgamated. The "Ottawa–Hull" exchange only covers the area that was the city of Ottawa prior to the 2001 amalgamation, plus the former suburbs of Nepean (central part) and Vanier and small sections of other urban communities.

The proliferation of cell phones and pagers, particularly in the larger cities in the 613 area, put a constraint on the numbering plan. The allocation problem was even more severe on the Quebec side; by 2006, the only remaining unassigned exchange prefixes in the entire 819 region were numbers which could not be assigned to what had been Hull without breaking seven-digit dialling to Ottawa.

Ten-digit dialling in 613 and 819 became mandatory on October 21, 2006. Intraprovincial calls from rate centres with no local calling beyond a small fragment of their own area code were returning intercept messages if dialled as seven digits. Exchange protection in the National Capital Region was ended, except for the "dual dialability" scheme for government numbers on both sides of the river.[1]

Within two years, it became apparent that a new area code was necessary due to the continued number allocation problem – an issue exacerbated by the proliferation of cell phones and pagers. A geographic split was quickly ruled out. Local telephone companies did not want the expense and burden of changing existing customers' numbers, which would have required en masse reprogramming of cell phones. As a result, overlay area codes were proposed for both 613 and 819. By this time, overlays had become the preferred method of relief in Canada, as they are an easy workaround for the number allocation problems that brought the numbering pools on both sides of the Ottawa River under strain.

Area code 343, an overlay proposed in 2007,[2] and approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on September 10, 2008,[3] was activated for the region on May 17, 2010,[4] several years earlier than originally anticipated.[5]

On 10 November 2021, the Canadian Numbering Administrator approved an additional overlay code for the numbering plan area 613/343. Area code 753 was assigned for activation on March 26, 2022.[6][7]

Area code 871 has been reserved as the fourth area code for the region since May 2025.[8]

Carriers

[edit]

The main incumbent local exchange carrier in area code 613 is Bell Canada, but there are some five independent companies serving rural exchanges: the Lansdowne Rural Telephone Company, serving Lansdowne;[9] the North Frontenac Telephone Company, serving Sharbot Lake and Parham;[10] the North Renfrew Telephone Company, serving Beachburg, Westmeath, and the area outside Pembroke;[11] the Roxborough Telephone Company, serving Moose Creek;[12] and the Westport Telephone Company, serving Westport.[13]

Also served by area code 613 and Bell Canada is Saint-Régis, Quebec. The exchange covers the Mohawk nation territory of Akwesasne, which straddles the Ontario–Québec–New York border. Calls from Saint-Régis to Fort Covington, New York, are local although they cross an international border.[14]

In the west, Rapides-des-Joachims, Quebec, shares an exchange with the adjacent Rolphton, Ontario.[15]

Communities and central office codes

[edit]
  • Adolphustown (Greater Napanee) – (613): 373
  • Addington Highlands (township): see Denbigh, Northbrook
  • Alexandria (North Glengarry) – (343): 432 474, (613): 525, 642
  • For the municipality "Alfred and Plantagenet", see Alfred and Plantagenet
  • Alfred (Alfred and Plantagenet) – (343): 371, 691, 789, (613): 605, 679, 708
  • Almonte – (343): 372, 760, (613): 256, 461
  • Arden (Central Frontenac) – (343): 268, (613): 335
  • Arnprior – (343): 373, 761, (613): 622, 623, 626
  • Athens – (613): 924, 927
  • Avonmore (North Stormont) – (343): 433, (613): 346
  • Bancroft – (343): 269, 357, 401, 476, 943, (613): 202, 303, 318, 332, 334, 412, 442, 553, 630
  • Barry's Bay – (343): 241, (613): 756
  • Bath (Loyalist Township) – (613): 351, 352, 881
  • Beachburg (Whitewater Region) – (613): 582
  • For the municipality of Belleville, see Belleville and Thurlow (former township now in the city)
  • Belleville – (343): 261, 263, 270, 355, 362, 367, 600, 645, 889, (613): 210, 242, 243, 391, 403, 438, 480, 554, 661, 689, 707, 743, 771, 779, 813, 827, 847, 848, 849, 885, 902, 919, 920, 921, 922, 961, 962, 966, 967, 968, 969, 970
  • Bloomfield (Prince Edward County) – (613): 393
  • Bourget – (343): 374, 762, (613): 426, 487, 603
  • Brighton – (343): 271, (613): 439, 475, 481, 814
  • Brockville – (343): 225, 264, 300, 320, 327, 480, (613): 213, 246, 340, 341, 342, 345, 349, 423, 498, 499, 556, 640, 704, 802, 803, 865
  • Calabogie (Greater Madawaska) – (613): 752
  • Cardiff (Highlands East) – (613): 338
  • Cardinal (Edwardsburgh/Cardinal) – (613): 655, 657, 671
  • Carleton Place – (343): 213, 285, 375, 503, 763, (613): 250, 251, 253, 257, 418, 434, 451, 452, 456, 492, 508, 621, 964
  • Carp – (343): 376, 764, (613): 470, 839
  • Casselman – (343): 377, 765, (613): 427, 764
  • Central Frontenac (township): see Arden, Parham
  • Chalk River – (613): 589
  • Chesterville (North Dundas) – (343): 378, 766, (613): 436, 448
  • For the city "Clarence-Rockland", see Clarence Creek and Rockland
  • Clarence Creek (Clarence-Rockland) – (343): 379, 767, (613): 420, 488
  • Cobden – (613): 646, 647
  • Coe Hill (Wollaston) – (613): 337
  • Constance Bay (Ottawa) – (343): 380, 768, (613): 578, 832
  • Cornwall – (343): 288, 301, 330, 356, 370, 431, 444, 475, 585, 885, (613): 209, 330, 360, 361, 362, 363, 505, 551, 571, 577, 662, 703, 861, 870, 930, 931, 932, 933, 935, 936, 937, 938
  • Crysler (North Stormont) – (343): 381, (613): 987
  • Cumberland – (343): 382, 769, (613): 467, 517, 573, 833, 892
  • Deep River – (613): 584
  • Delta – (613): 616, 928
  • Denbigh (Addington Highlands) – (613): 333
  • Deseronto – (343): 265, (613): 309, 396
  • Douglas (Admaston/Bromley) – (613): 649
  • East Hawkesbury (township): see St. Eugene
  • Edwardsburgh/Cardinal (township): see Cardinal, Spencerville
  • Eganville – (613): 628
  • Elgin (Rideau Lakes) – (613): 359
  • Embrun – (343): 383, 770, (613): 370, 443, 557
  • Enterprise (Stone Mills) – (613): 358
  • Finch (North Stormont) – (343): 434, (613): 984
  • Foymount – (613): 754
  • Frankford (Quinte West) – (613): 398, 486
  • For the municipality of Frontenac Islands, see Wolfe Island, Kingston
  • Gananoque – (343): 479, (613): 381, 382, 463, 718, 815
  • Gilmour (Tudor and Cashel) – (613): 474
  • Glen Robertson (North Glengarry) – (343): 435, (613): 874
  • Gloucester (Ottawa) – (343): 384, 771, (613): 425, 455, 502, 822
  • Golden Lake (North Algona Wilberforce) – (613): 625
  • For Greater Madawaska (township), see Calabogie
  • For the municipality "Greater Napanee", see Adolphustown, Napanee, Selby
  • Harrowsmith – (613): 372
  • Hawkesbury – (343): 500, (613): 306, 307, 632, 636
  • Ingleside (South Stormont) – (343): 436, (613): 522, 537
  • Inverary (South Frontenac) – (613): 353, 653
  • Iroquois (South Dundas) – (343): 437, (613): 652, 669
  • Jockvale (Ottawa) – (343): 212, 303, 385, 772, (613): 440, 459, 512, 823, 825, 843
  • Kanata–Stittsville (Ottawa) – (343): 359 386 667 690, 773, (613): 254, 270, 271, 280, 287, 383, 435, 457, 509, 519, 576, 591, 592, 595, 599, 609, 663, 801, 831, 836, 886, 895, 963, 974, 977
  • Kemptville (North Grenville) – (343): 387, 774, (613): 215, 258, 713
  • Killaloe – (613): 757
  • Kingston – (343): 266, 290, 302, 333, 344, 358, 363, 364, 422, 477, 884, 989, (613): 214, 217, 305, 328, 329, 331, 344, 384, 389, 417, 449, 453, 483, 484, 507, 514, 530, 531, 532, 533, 536, 539, 540, 541, 542, 544, 545, 546, 547, 548, 549, 561, 572, 583, 634, 650, 766, 767, 770, 776, 777, 817, 840, 856, 876, 877, 887, 888, 893, 900, 929, 985
  • L'Orignal (Champlain Township) – (343): 438, (613): 675
  • Lanark Highlands (township), see Lanark, McDonalds Corners
  • Lanark – (613): 259
  • Lancaster (South Glengarry) – (343): 439, (613): 313, 347
  • Lansdowne (Leeds and the Thousand Islands) – (613): 659
  • Leeds and the Thousand Islands (township): see Lansdowne, Mallorytown, Seeleys Bay
  • Long Sault (South Stormont) – (343): 440, (613): 534, 550
  • Loyalist Township, see Bath and Odessa
  • Maberly (Tay Valley) – (613): 268
  • Madoc – (343): 472, (613): 473, 666
  • Maitland – (613): 320, 348, 664
  • Mallorytown – (613): 923, 973
  • Manotick (Ottawa) – (343): 214, 388, 775, (613): 491, 692, 908
  • Marmora – (613): 472, 644
  • Martintown (South Glengarry) – (343): 441, (613): 528
  • Maxville (North Glengarry) – (343): 442, (613): 527
  • Maynooth (Hastings Highlands) – (613): 338
  • McDonalds Corners (Lanark Highlands) – (613): 278
  • Merrickville (Merrickville-Wolford) – (343) 340 389, (613): 269
  • Metcalfe (Ottawa) – (343) 390, 776, (613): 574, 821
  • Mississippi Mills (township): see Pakenham
  • Moose Creek (North Stormont) – (613): 538
  • Morrisburg – (343): 443, (613): 543, 643
  • Napanee (Greater Napanee) – (343): 267, 478, (613): 308, 354, 409, 462
  • Navan (Ottawa) – (343) 391, 778, (613): 429, 835
  • Newburgh (Stone Mills) – (613): 378
  • North Algona Wilberforce: see Golden Lake
  • North Augusta – (613): 665, 926
  • North Dundas (township): see Chesterville, South Mountain and Winchester
  • North Glengarry (township): see Alexandria, Glen Robertson, Maxville
  • North Gower (Ottawa) – (343): 392, 779, (613): 489, 493
  • North Stormont (township): see Avonmore, Crysler, Finch, Moose Creek
  • Northbrook (Addington Highlands) – (343): 272, 336
  • Odessa (Loyalist Township) – (613): 386, 896
  • Orleans (Ottawa) – (343): 221, 393, 780, (613): 424, 458, 510, 590, 824, 830, 834, 837, 841, 845
  • Osgoode (Ottawa) – (343): 394, 467, 781, 955 (613): 465, 469, 516, 826, (753): 200
  • In Ontario, the Ottawa–Hull exchange covers the pre-2001 city of Ottawa, from Nepean to Vanier only. For the municipality of Ottawa, see Ottawa–Hull, Constance Bay, Gloucester, Jockvale, Kanata, Manotick, Metcalfe, Navan, North Gower, Orléans, Osgoode.
  • Ottawa–Hull city centre – (343): 200, 201, 203, 244, 262, 291, 292, 360, 488, 540, 541, 542, 666, 688, 689, 700, 777, 882, 883, 887, 888, 925, 988, 998, 999, (613): 203, 204, 212, 216, 218, 219, 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 244, 245, 247, 248, 249, 252, 255, 260, 261, 262, 263, 265, 266, 274, 276, 277, 282, 286, 288, 290, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295, 296, 297, 298, 299, 301, 302, 304, 314, 315, 316, 317, 319, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 327, 350, 355, 356, 357, 364, 366, 368, 369, 371, 380, 400, 402, 404, 406, 407, 408, 410, 413, 415, 416, 421, 422, 437, 447, 454, 462. 482, 500, 501, 513, 514, 515, 518, 520, 521, 523, 526, 552, 558, 560, 562, 563, 564, 565, 566, 567, 569, 580, 581, 593, 594, 596, 597, 598, 600, 601, 604, 606, 607, 608, 612, 614, 615, 617, 618, 619, 620, 627, 656, 660, 667, 668, 670, 680, 683, 686, 688, 690, 691, 693, 694, 695, 696, 697, 698, 699, 700, 701, 702, 709, 710, 712, 714, 715, 716, 719, 720, 721, 722, 723, 724, 725, 726, 727, 728, 729, 730, 731, 733, 734, 736, 737, 738, 739, 740, 741, 742, 744, 745, 746, 747, 748, 749, 750, 751, 755, 759, 760, 761, 762, 763, 765, 768, 769, 773, 778, 780, 781, 782, 783, 784, 785, 786, 787, 788, 789, 790, 791, 792, 793, 794, 795, 796, 797, 798, 799, 800, 804, 805, 806, 807, 808, 809, 816, 818, 820, 828, 829, 842, 844, 850, 851, 852, 853, 854, 857, 858, 859, 860, 862, 863, 864, 866, 867, 868, 869, 875, 878, 880, 882, 883, 884, 889, 890, 891, 894, 897, 898, 899, 901, 903, 904, 907, 909, 910, 912, 913, 914, 915, 916, 917, 934, 940, 941, 943, 944, 945, 946, 947, 948, 949, 951, 952, 953, 954, 956, 957, 960, 971, 978, 979, 981, 983, 986, 990, 991, 992, 993, 994, 995, 996, 997, 998, 999, 934p, 939p, 953p, 956p, 994p, 997p
  • Pakenham (Mississippi Mills) – (343): 395, (613): 624
  • Palmer Rapids (Brudenell, Lyndoch and Raglan) – (613): 758
  • Parham (Central Frontenac) – (613): 375
  • Pembroke independent – (613): 638
  • Pembroke – (343): 369, 430, 544, (613): 281, 312, 401, 504, 559, 585, 602, 629, 631, 633, 635, 639, 717, 732, 735, 775
  • Perth – (343): 341, 400, 402, (613): 200, 201, 264, 267, 300, 326, 390, 464, 466, 714, 772, 812
  • Petawawa – (613): 506, 588, 685, 687
  • Picton (Prince Edward County) – (343): 222, (613): 471, 476, 503, 645, 654, 846, 906
  • Plantagenet (Alfred and Plantagenet) – (343): 396, 783, (613): 405, 673
  • Plevna (North Frontenac) – (343): 273, (613): 479
  • Portland (Rideau Lakes) – (613): 272, 972
  • Prescott – (613): 529, 918, 925, 975
  • For the municipality of Quinte West, see Frankford, Trenton and Wooler
  • Renfrew – (343): 361, (613): 431, 432, 433, 570
  • For the municipality of Prince Edward County, see Picton, Bloomfield, Wellington
  • Richmond – (343): 200, 397, 784, (613): 444, 838
  • Rideau Lakes (township): see Elgin, Portland
  • Rockland (Clarence-Rockland) – (343): 200, 398, 785, (613): 419, 446
  • Rolphton (Laurentian Hills) – (613): 586
  • Russell – (343): 399, 786, (613): 445, 496
  • Seeleys Bay (Leeds and the Thousand Islands) – (613): 387
  • Selby (Greater Napanee) – (613): 388
  • Sharbot Lake – (613): 279
  • Smiths Falls – (343): 800, 881, (613): 205, 206, 207, 283, 284, 285, 414, 418, 430, 485, 682, 706, 855, 980, 982, 988
  • South Dundas (township): see Iroquois, Morrisburg, Williamsburg
  • South Frontenac (township): see Harrowsmith, Inverary, Sydenham, Verona
  • South Glengarry (township): see Lancaster, Martintown
  • South Mountain (North Dundas) – (343): 345, (613): 989
  • South Stormont (township): see Ingleside, Long Sault
  • Spencerville (Edwardsburgh/Cardinal) – (613): 648, 658
  • Saint Regis (Akwesasane) – (343): 447, (613): 575
  • St. Eugene (East Hawkesbury) – (343): 445, (613): 674
  • St. Isidore – (343): 446, (613): 524
  • Stirling (Stirling–Rawdon) – (613): 395, 490
  • Stone Mills (township): see Enterprise, Newburgh, Yarker
  • Sydenham (South Frontenac) – (613): 376
  • Tamworth – (613): 379
  • Thurlow (Belleville) – (613): 477, 494
  • Toledo (Elizabethtown-Kitley) – (613): 275
  • Trenton (Quinte West) – (613): 208, 392, 394, 495, 651, 681, 955, 965
  • Tweed – (613): 478
  • Vankleek Hill – (343): 304, 448, 473 886, (613): 676, 677, 678, 684, 872
  • Verona (South Frontenac) – (613): 374
  • Wellington (Prince Edward County) – (613): 399
  • Westmeath (Whitewater Region) – (613): 587
  • Westport – (613): 273
  • Whitewater Region: see Beachburg, Westmeath
  • Whitney (South Algonquin) – (613): 637
  • Williamsburg (South Dundas) – (343): 449, (613): 535, 641
  • Winchester (North Dundas) – (343) 346, 787, (613): 441, 774
  • Wolfe Island (Frontenac Islands) – (613): 385
  • Wollaston: see Coe Hill
  • Wooler (Quinte West) – (613): 397, 497
  • Yarker (Stone Mills) – (613): 377
  • shared-cost service – (613): 310

p = Protected against assignment in both 819 and 613 – Government of Canada offices

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Area codes 613, 343, and 753

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Area codes 613, 343, and 753 are area codes in the (NANP) serving and a small portion of , , primarily covering the region around the national capital, , and extending to cities such as Kingston, , , Belleville, and Pembroke, as well as the Saint-Régis community in Quebec. These codes operate as an overlay complex, meaning they serve the identical geographic area without requiring customers to change their existing numbers. The original area code 613 was established in as one of the initial 86 codes in the NANP, initially encompassing a larger portion of before boundaries were adjusted in 1957 to focus solely on . Due to growing demand for telephone numbers driven by population increases and the proliferation of mobile devices, area code 343 was introduced as an overlay on May 17, 2010. Further exhaustion of available numbers in the 343/613 complex prompted the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to approve area code 753 as additional relief, with its activation beginning on March 26, 2022. All three area codes operate within the and support throughout the region, a requirement implemented alongside the introduction of overlays to distinguish local calls. The overlay structure ensures continued availability of telephone numbers for residential, , and mobile services in this densely populated corridor, which includes urban centers, rural communities, and cross-border proximity to . As of 2025, projections indicate potential need for further relief by 2029, with area code 871 under consideration.

Overview

Geographic Scope

Area codes 613, 343, and 753 cover southeastern , , primarily encompassing the National Capital Region—including on the Ontario side and adjacent on the side (served by area codes 819 and 873)—along with Prescott and Russell United Counties, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry United Counties, Leeds and Grenville United Counties, , , and portions of Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Counties. The territorial boundaries are defined by the Quebec provincial border to the east and north, the and to the south, and extend westward to incorporate communities such as Almonte, , and Perth in and Counties, while excluding the served by area codes 416, 647, and 437. This jurisdiction includes key federal institutions, such as in and in , reflecting the region's significance as Canada's political and military hub. As of 2025, the region is home to approximately 2.0 million residents, with ongoing —projected at approximately 1.2% annually in —driving the need for additional area codes to accommodate expanding telecommunications demand.

Overlay System and Usage

The area codes 613, 343, and 753 operate as an overlay complex in the (NANP), serving the identical geographic region in without any boundary splits or geographic differentiation among the codes. This structure allows all three codes to coexist, providing additional numbering resources while maintaining service continuity across the area. Mandatory 10-digit dialing for local calls within the region has been in effect since October 21, 2006, and was required upon the introduction of the 343 overlay on , 2010, to distinguish between 613 and 343 numbers. With the addition of 753 on March 26, 2022, this requirement continued to encompass all three codes, as the existing 10-digit system accommodated the new overlay without further changes to dialing procedures. The need for overlays arose from number exhaustion pressures: area code 613 approached capacity in the early due to sustained and rising demand for telephone numbers from residential, , and mobile services in the region. The combined 343/613 complex was then projected to exhaust by the early 2020s, prompting the introduction of 753 to avert shortages. Under current usage rules, new assignments for and mobile numbers prioritize the overlay codes (343 and 753) to preserve available resources in the original 613 code, with no geographic restrictions on where numbers can be used within the overlay area. For international calls, the standard NANP format applies: +1 followed by the area code (613, 343, or 753) and the seven-digit subscriber number. Existing 613 and 343 numbers remain unaffected, with no mandatory changes required for customers; however, a permissive dialing transition period—such as the four-month window leading to full 753 implementation in 2022—allows both seven- and ten-digit formats during initial rollout to minimize disruptions.

Historical Development

Establishment of 613

Area code 613 was established in October 1947 as one of the original 86 numbering plan areas under the (NANP), developed by and Bell Laboratories to standardize direct-distance dialing across . This made it one of Canada's inaugural area codes, assigned to support the growing need for efficient long-distance connectivity in the post-World War II era. In Canada, , the primary telephone service provider in and , was responsible for implementing the code within its network. Initially, area code 613 covered a vast portion of eastern and , centered on the national capital of and extending to include rural exchanges, smaller towns, and emerging urban areas such as Kingston and . The assignment reflected the NANP's design principles, where codes with a middle digit of 1 (like 613) were allocated to regions with major population centers to optimize efficiency, as the digit 1 required minimal rotation time. Early central office codes under 613 included examples like 225 in and 268 in Kingston, facilitating local numbering for government offices, businesses, and residences amid the transition from manual to automated switching systems. The establishment of 613 was driven by socioeconomic factors tied to Ottawa's role as Canada's political hub, where a post-war economic boom fueled rapid government expansion and the influx of diplomatic personnel. This growth, including suburban development around the capital and industrial areas like , increased telephone demand, necessitating a dedicated area code to handle the surge in connections for federal administration, , and burgeoning residential lines. During the and , minor boundary adjustments were made to 613's footprint, such as the 1957 realignment that shifted parts of the region to area code 705, accommodating suburban sprawl without major disruptions. These changes addressed localized growth while preserving 613's core service to southeastern , though later overlays like 343 and 753 would eventually relieve its numbering exhaustion.

Introduction of 343 Overlay

The introduction of area code 343 as an overlay for the existing 613 area code was approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in Telecom Decision CRTC 2008-89 on September 10, 2008. This decision followed public consultations initiated through Telecom Public Notice CRTC 2007-18 on October 12, 2007, which established a relief planning committee (RPC) under the CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee to evaluate options for addressing the impending exhaustion of central office (CO) codes in the 613 numbering plan area (NPA). The RPC's initial planning document, released in May 2008, highlighted forecasts from recent Numbering Resource Utilization and Forecast (R-NRUF) reports showing 613's exhaustion as early as August 2011, driven by rapid growth in telephone number demand, particularly in urban centers. The CRTC selected a distributed overlay with 343 over alternatives like a geographic split, citing its ability to provide immediate relief without requiring existing customers to change numbers, thereby minimizing disruptions to communities across , including and surrounding areas. This approach extended the usable life of the numbering resources beyond eight years, potentially until 2050, while preserving established local calling patterns in a region where 10-digit dialing had already been mandatory since October 21, 2006. The choice aligned with successful prior overlays in , such as 416/647, and addressed projections of CO code utilization exceeding sustainable levels due to concentrated demand in about 13 of the 132 exchange areas. Implementation occurred on May 17, 2010, with area code 343 reserved exclusively for new telephone number assignments thereafter. Initial allocations prioritized high-demand rate centers, including Ottawa suburbs such as Nepean and Kanata, where population and business growth had accelerated CO code consumption. To mitigate public and business impacts, the CRTC mandated a consumer awareness program led by telecommunications service providers (TSPs), focusing on education about 10-digit dialing and the overlay's effects; this included no changes to existing 613 numbers or local call rates. The transition faced limited opposition, as the overlay's design ensured seamless adaptation for residents and the region's burgeoning technology sector in Ottawa.

Introduction of 753 Overlay

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved the introduction of area code 753 as a third overlay for the 343/613 complex in Telecom Decision CRTC 2021-372, issued on November 10, 2021. This decision followed public consultations launched in 2020 by the relief planning committee, which identified the need for additional numbering resources due to projected exhaustion of available central office codes in the 343/613 complex by 2025-2026, based on 2020 jeopardy numbering resource utilization forecast (J-NRUF) data. The approval directed the Canadian Numbering Administrator to implement 753 as a distributed overlay across the entire geographic region served by the existing codes, ensuring no split or boundary changes. Implementation of area code 753 commenced on March 26, 2022, with permissive assignment of new telephone numbers beginning shortly thereafter and full service activation by April 2022. Unlike prior overlays that introduced 10-digit dialing requirements, the 753 rollout did not necessitate changes to local calling procedures, as mandatory 10-digit dialing had been in place since October 21, 2006. Initial assignments prioritized high-demand areas, starting with rural regions like and extending to urban centers including , providing seamless integration without service disruptions. The accelerated demand prompting the 753 overlay stemmed from post-2010s population growth in , including influxes driven by trends during 2020-2021, new housing developments in Ottawa's east end, and expansions in mobile and services. These factors contributed to heightened consumption of numbering resources beyond initial projections. During rollout, carriers faced delays for updating equipment amid global disruptions, but mitigation efforts ensured successful deployment, adding over 6 million new telephone numbers to the pool.

Service Providers

Major Telephone Carriers

Bell Canada, operating as the incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) under BCE Inc., provides the majority of wireline telephone services in the regions served by area codes 613, 343, and 753, a role it has held since the late 1880s as the primary provider in Eastern Ontario. According to the CRTC's Canadian Telecommunications Market Report 2025, large incumbent telephone service providers like Bell account for approximately 56.4% of national telecommunications revenues, with even greater dominance in traditional ILEC territories such as this area, where they handle the bulk of legacy landline connections via public switched telephone network (PSTN) infrastructure. Competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) and other providers offer alternatives, including Rogers Communications, a cable-telephone hybrid focusing on bundled internet and voice offerings through its Ignite brand. TELUS emphasizes wireless mobility services across the region, leveraging its national network for 5G coverage, while smaller voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) providers like Fongo Inc. and Distributel Communications serve niche markets with low-cost digital phone options, often ported from traditional numbers. Technologically, legacy PSTN supports traditional landlines, but major carriers are transitioning to advanced networks; Bell has expanded fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) in urban centers like , contributing to over 75% national access to fiber networks as of 2025. All primary providers—Bell, Rogers, and TELUS—offer wireless services, covering 93% of Canada's population as of 2023. Regulatory oversight by the CRTC mandates since 1997, allowing subscribers to switch carriers without changing their telephone numbers. Market dynamics in 2025 reflect a continued shift toward unlimited mobile plans, with average pricing for such plans rising modestly in 2024 amid , enabling seamless transitions between providers. Carrier-specific prefixes, such as Bell's 613-234 for exchanges, illustrate ongoing allocation practices within the overlay system. is accelerating the decommissioning of its copper network, with migrations to fiber expected to continue through 2030, particularly impacting rural services in .

Rate Centers and Exchanges

Rate centers in the numbering plan area covered by area codes 613, 343, and 753 are geographic units that define local calling boundaries and serve as the basis for mileage-sensitive billing in the . These centers correspond to telephone exchanges and encompass over 100 distinct locations across , including prominent examples such as , Kingston, and Pembroke. Central office codes, denoted as the NXX portion of a telephone number, are assigned to specific rate centers to route calls and identify exchanges. For instance, within the original 613 , 613-225 serves the rate center, while overlay codes like those in 343 are frequently allocated to mobile and services sharing the same rate centers, and newer 753 assignments support expansion in rural exchanges. The exchange structure follows a traditional where end offices—local switches terminating customer lines—connect to tandem switches for inter-exchange routing and long-distance handoff. In densely served areas like , multiple end offices handle local traffic before tandem connections facilitate broader connectivity. By 2025, major carriers including have accelerated migration from legacy circuit-based end offices and tandems to VoIP softswitches, enabling more efficient IP-based routing over networks while preserving existing numbering. Each area code supports 7.92 million telephone numbers, calculated as 792 available central office codes multiplied by 10,000 subscriber numbers per code, providing the combined 613/343/753 system with roughly 23.76 million lines to accommodate regional demand. To ensure future growth and , the Canadian Numbering Administration Consortium (CNAC) coordinates inter-carrier assignments, maintaining reserves such as allowing up to 10% contamination thresholds in returned thousands-blocks for reallocation.

Served Communities

Major Urban Areas

The major urban areas served by area codes 613, 343, and 753 are concentrated in , where population growth and economic activity have necessitated overlay codes to accommodate increasing demand driven by high . , the largest city in the region and Canada's capital, has an estimated population of approximately 1.17 million residents as of 2025, serving as a primary hub that employs over 300,000 federal public servants and supports bilingual services in both English and French to reflect its demographic composition of roughly 20% francophones. Specific prefixes such as 613-232 and 343-203 are commonly associated with 's central exchanges, facilitating connectivity for offices, embassies, and residential areas. The city's economic significance extends to its tech corridor in Kanata, home to major innovation hubs like the Kanata North Business Park, which hosts approximately 540 high-tech firms and contributes significantly to Canada's ICT sector with annual contributions exceeding $13 billion to GDP. Kingston, a historic port city on with around 151,000 residents as of 2025, blends educational, correctional, and cultural institutions that anchor its local economy. It features prominent universities such as Queen's University, which enrolls over 28,000 students and drives research in fields like health sciences and engineering, alongside correctional facilities including the decommissioned , now a major tourist attraction drawing approximately 98,000 visitors annually for guided tours of its 19th-century architecture. Prefixes like 613-548 serve key exchanges in Kingston, supporting its role as a regional education and center where the sector generates about $775 million in annual economic impact through heritage sites and waterfront activities. Belleville, located along the Bay of Quinte with an estimated population of approximately 63,000 as of 2025, serves as a commercial and healthcare hub for central eastern Ontario, featuring institutions like Quinte Health Care and contributing to regional manufacturing and tourism. Prefixes such as 613-966 support local exchanges in Belleville and surrounding areas. Cornwall, an industrial border town along the St. Lawrence River with a population of approximately 52,500 as of 2025, focuses on manufacturing and cross-border trade, employing around 10,000 in sectors like aluminum production and automotive parts assembly. The 613-938 exchange covers much of Cornwall's infrastructure, linking its factories and residential zones to broader networks. These urban centers collectively underscore the overlay system's necessity, as their combined population growth—exceeding 1.3 million—has fueled telecom demand, prompting the addition of 343 in 2010 and 753 in 2022 to prevent number exhaustion. Urban cores in these areas exhibit high fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) penetration rates, often surpassing 70% in Ottawa and Kingston, enabling gigabit-speed internet for households and businesses. Additionally, 5G towers are densely deployed in city centers, with over 60 new installations activated across eastern Ontario by mid-2025 to support mobile data needs in high-traffic zones.

Rural and Smaller Communities

Renfrew County, located in the rural northern portion of the area codes 613, 343, and 753 region, spans a vast landscape supporting a of approximately 114,700 residents as of 2024. Its is anchored in , which serves as a foundational driver through sustainable timber harvesting across over 6,500 hectares of county-owned forests, and , including crop production and livestock. Telephone prefixes such as 613-732 are assigned to communities like Pembroke within the county, facilitating local connectivity for these resource-based activities. Further south, the United Counties of and Grenville along the encompass about 110,800 people across expansive farmlands and small industrial sites as of 2024. The region hosts 1,032 farms dedicated primarily to , , and other production, alongside small-scale that leverages local agricultural outputs for processing and value-added products. Prefixes including 613-275 serve areas around and nearby locales like Toledo, supporting the dispersed rural networks essential for farm operations and . To the east, the United Counties of Prescott and Russell form a predominantly French-speaking rural area with roughly 106,000 inhabitants as of 2024, where 57.7% report French as their mother tongue. This demographic drives the provision of bilingual services across municipal, , and social sectors, ensuring in both languages for community support and economic activities centered on and small enterprises. Telephone prefixes like 613-675 cover communities such as Rockland and L'Orignal, enabling communication in this linguistically diverse setting. These rural locales face distinct connectivity hurdles, including a slower rollout of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) , with projections estimating only about 50% coverage by 2025 compared to 80% in urban centers, due to sparse and high deployment costs. Remote farms often depend on wireless solutions, such as access from providers like Xplore, to bridge gaps where wired infrastructure is impractical. Indigenous communities, such as the Mohawk Territory of straddling the Ontario-Quebec border, utilize area code 613 for local services despite proximity to Quebec's numbering plans, reflecting shared cultural and economic ties across the region; the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne operates under 613-575 exchanges.

References

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