Telephone numbers in Somalia

Before the civil war in 1991, very few people had access to the government-controlled fixed-line telephony that only operated in a few areas. Following the fall of the central government, the telecommunication industry fell into the hands of private investors and telephone numbering remained unregulated.^[1] Following its re-establishment in 2012,^[2] the Federal Government the government recognized the need to establish regulatory frameworks to ensure effective oversight and development of the telecommunication sector, and in 2017, the government enacted the National Communications Authority which is tasked to regulate and oversee the telecommunications industry.

Telephone numbers in Somalia

Somalia
Location
Country	Somalia
Continent	Africa
Regulator	National Communications Authority
Numbering plan	National Numbering Plan
Access codes
Country code	+252
International access	00
Long-distance	0

Calling formats

To call Somalia, the following format is used:

• yxx xxx xxx, yyx xxx xxx or yyy xxx xxx - calls within Somalia.
• +252 yxx xxx xxx, +252 yyx xxx xxx or +252 yyy xxx xxx - calls from outside Somalia.

List of area codes in Somalia

The telecommunication industry in Somalia has been managed by private businesses since the collapse of the Siad Barre government in 1991.^[3] However, following the establishment of the National Communications Authority] in 2017, the regulation of the country's telecom industry is now overseen by this authority, who has developed a number of regulations since its establishment.

In 2021, the National Communications Authority standardized the numbering of the fixed telephone services and has allocated codes to the Federal Member States in the following format:^[4]

List of Fixed Line Area Codes as of 2021
National Destination Code (NDC) for fixed telephony	Area Code	Area/State	Example
02	1	Mogadishu	021X XXX XXX
	2	Somaliland	022X XXX XXX
	3	Jubaland	023X XXX XXX
	4	South West State of Somalia	024X XXX XXX
	5	Puntland	025X XXX XXX
	6	Hirshabelle	026X XXX XXX
	7	Galmudug	027X XXX XXX

Mobile operators

According to the National Communications Authority, there are 13 registered mobile network operators in the country, 12 of which are licensed by the authority.^[5] A number of these operators have assigned numbering ranges.

Prefix	International Format	Local Format	Operator
61, 77	+252 61X XXX XXX	061X XXX XXX	Hormuud[6]
	+252 77X XXX XXX	077X XXX XXX
62, 65, 66	+252 62X XXX XXX	062X XXX XXX	Somtel
	+252 65X XXX XXX	065X XXX XXX
	+252 66X XXX XXX	066X XXX XXX
63	+252 63X XXX XXX	063X XXX XXX	Telesom
64	+252 64X XXX XXX	064X XXX XXX	SomLink
68	+252 68X XXX XXX	068X XXX XXX	SomNet
69	+252 69X XXX XXX	069X XXX XXX	NationLink
71	+252 71X XXX XXX	071X XXX XXX	Amtel
90	+252 90X XXX XXX	090X XXX XXX	Golis

References

1. Hassan, Harun (22 July 2003). "The phones keep ringing in Somalia". Panos London. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
2. "Somalia: UN Envoy Says Inauguration of New Parliament in Somalia 'Historic Moment'". Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. 21 August 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
3. Nuxurkey, Mohamed (10 May 2012). "Telecoms: Somalia's Leading Business". Piracy Report. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
4. "The National Telephone Numbering Plan" (PDF). National Communications Authority. p. 3. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
5. "Licensed Operators".
6. "Expansion of our MNC to Accommodate Growing Subscribers". hormuud.com. Hormuud Telecom. Retrieved 24 June 2023.