Telecommunications Numbering Plan 1997

as amended

made under subsection 455 (1) of the

Telecommunications Act 1997

This compilation was prepared on 21 May 2007
taking into account amendments up to  Telecommunications Numbering Plan Variation 2007 (No. 2)

This document has been split into four volumes
Volume 1 contains sections 1.1–13.4 and Schedules 1–8, 11,
Volume 2 contains Schedule 12 (Part 1)
Volume 3 contains Schedule 12 (Parts 2–5) and
Volume 4 contains the Dictionary and the Notes
Each volume has its own Table of Contents

The text of any of those amendments not in force
on that date is appended in the Notes section

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting and Publishing,
Attorney‑General’s Department, Canberra

Contents

Dictionary [see Note 2] 

Notes   

Dictionary [see Note 2]

(section 1.3)

access code see Division 3 of Part 2 of Chapter 3.

Act means the Telecommunications Act 1997.

address format prefix see Part 2 of Schedule 5.

advisory committee see section 51 of the Australian Communications Authority Act 1997.

allocation with reserved status has the meaning given by subsection 3.58 (2).

allocation with withheld status has the meaning given by subsection 3.46 (2).

analgoue AMPS number means a number used for an analogue AMPS service.

analogue AMPS service means an analogue mobile service supplied by a network using the technology known as the advanced mobile phone system.

analogue mobile service means a mobile telephone service supplied by a network using analogue modulation techniques.

area code means a set of 2, 3 or 4 digits, beginning with ‘0’, at the start of a geographic number, indicating the part of Australia where:

 (a) a customer, to whom the geographic number is issued, is located; or

 (b) a carriage service, content service, or a service associated with a carriage service or content service, is supplied or operated.

Note   In this plan, area codes are always shown in brackets: see Schedule 2.

assistance operator service means a carriage service that:

 (a) provides assistance with the establishment of calls; and

 (b) provides information about:

 (i) language difficulties; and

 (ii) the meaning of special tones and spoken announcements; and

 (c) is accessible by operators in countries other than Australia; and

 (d) is provided:

 (i) by an operator; or

 (ii) by way of an automated voice response system or a system based on another technology.

business day means a day that is not a Saturday, a Sunday or a public holiday in the place concerned.

call charge see subsection 3.13 (5).

call costs and enquiries (national and international) service means a carriage service provided to an end‑user for giving information on making national and international calls.

Examples of information:

1.   Call cost information.

2.   In unusual cases — directory information.

call information service means a carriage service allowing an end‑user to obtain information about a call being made.

calling card service means a carriage service allowing charges for calls made using an originating access service to be billed to an account associated with the calling card service instead of the account associated with the originating access service.

Note   A customer subscribing to a calling card service would typically be issued with a card or issued with an identifying code unique to that customer.  Billing of calls made using a calling card service is typically achieved by issue of a periodic account or by purchase of the card.

calling number display over‑ride service means a carriage service allowing a caller to choose to block or unblock the display of the originating telephone number on the telephone used by the recipient of the call.

Note   The recipient of a call for which calling number display is not blocked may be able to have the originating telephone number (and related information) displayed on its telephone, or ancillary equipment, if a calling number display service and facility is installed on the telephone.

carriage service provider identification code see section 3.19.

Note   See also paragraphs 350 (1) (c) and (2) (c), and section 353, of the Act.

charging area see Attachment 1 (National Telex Charging Areas) to the document known as the ‘Telstra Public Switched Text Services Tariff’ forming part of the document known as the ‘Telstra Basic Carriage Service Tariff’ as in force immediately before 1 July 1996.

charging district means a district specified in Attachment 2 (Telephone Charging Districts) to the document known as the ‘Telstra Public Switched Telephone Service Tariff’, forming part of the document known as the ‘Telstra Basic Carriage Service Tariff’, as in force immediately before 1 July 1997.

Note   A charging district is a geographic district in Australia that includes charging zones. It may also include charging precincts.

charging precinct means a district specified in Attachment 4 (Telephone Charging Precincts) to the document known as the ‘Telstra Public Switched Telephone Service Tariff’, forming part of the document known as the ‘Telstra Basic Carriage Service Tariff’, as in force immediately before 1 July 1997.

Note   A charging precinct is a geographic district in Australia that is located inside a charging zone. A charging precinct is usually created:

(a) to increase the distance from which a call from a standard telephone service is an eligible local call to be charged for on an untimed basis (to be applied in metropolitan areas); and

(b) to provide for calls from a standard telephone service to be eligible local calls when they otherwise would not be (applicable in rural areas).

charging zone means a district specified in Attachment 3 (Telephone Charging Zones) to the document known as the ‘Telstra Public Switched Telephone Service Tariff’, forming part of the document known as the ‘Telstra Basic Carriage Service Tariff’, as in force immediately before 1 July 1997.

Note   A charging zone is a geographic district in Australia that:

(a) was created, and is used, by carriage service providers for determining whether a call from a standard telephone service is a local call charged on an untimed basis or a long distance call charged on a timed basis based (at least in part) on the distance between calling and called parties; and

(b) can be identified by reference to a charging point with a specified latitude and longitude that lies within the geographic area.

commencing day means the day when this plan commences.

community service means a carriage service providing access to information or assistance of significant community value.

complex application see subsection 6.10 (2).

country code means a set of digits that indicates the country to which an international call is made.

data country code see Part 2 of Schedule 5.

data network access service means a carriage service allowing a telephone end‑user to gain access, by a computer or similar means, to a data network (in particular, a packet‑switched network), or to particular facilities and features available on a data network.

data network identification code means a unit by which data terminal numbers are allocated to carriage service providers (see Part 2 of Schedule 5).

data number see section 4.3.

data terminal number means the usual form of address available in making a data network call (see Part 2 of Schedule 5).

delay operator service means a carriage service that:

 (a) provides assistance with the establishment of calls for which there is an inherent set‑up delay; and

 (b) provides information about:

 (i) language difficulties; and

 (ii) the meaning of special tones and spoken announcements; and

 (c) is accessible by operators in countries other than Australia; and

 (d) is provided:

 (i) by an operator; or

 (ii) by way of an automated voice response system or a system based on another technology.

designated authority see subsection 465 (1) of the Act.

digital mobile service means a mobile telephone service supplied by a network using digital modulation techniques.

directory enquiries service means a carriage service that:

 (a) provides assistance with finding the telephone number of an end‑user of an Australian standard telephone service; and

 (b) is accessible by operators in countries other than Australia; and

 (c) is provided:

 (i) by an operator; or

 (ii) by way of an automated voice response system or a system based on another technology.

electronic allocation procedure:

 (a) for allocation with withheld status — has the meaning given by section 3.48; and

 (b) for allocation with reserved status — has the meaning given by section 3.60; and

 (c) for the allocation of a number without the reservation of the number — has the meaning given by section 3.70.

electronic surrender procedure has the meaning given by section 3.77.

eligible local call see section 225 of the Act.

emergency service organisation means a service mentioned in subsection 466 (1) of the Act for provision of assistance in connection with emergencies.

ENUM means a communications protocol that links a telephone number to 1 or more Uniform Resource Identifiers in accordance with the technical specifications defined in the document called ‘E.164 Number and DNS’ by P. Faltstrom (also known as the Internet Engineering Taskforce’s Request for Comment 2916).

Note   ENUM could potentially allow a person to have a single point of contact by linking Uniform Resource Identifiers for several devices (for example e‑mail, telephone, facsimile) to a single telephone number.

ENUM trial means a trial of ENUM in Australia conducted:

 (a) using the 1.6.e164.arpa domain space; and

 (b) in accordance with terms and conditions set by ACMA.

ENUM trial number means a number used in the ENUM trial.

equivalent service see section 11.4.

escape code means:

 (a) for a data number — the code mentioned in Part 2 of Schedule 5; or

 (b) for a private numbering scheme — a single‑digit prefix established by a customer:

 (i) for use by a select group of end‑users, generally (but not necessarily) in the customer’s immediate circle; and

 (ii) to indicate that the digits dialled following the escape code are for calls to end‑users that are not part of the select group.

exchange service area means an area:

 (a) surrounding an exchange to which blocks of numbers are assigned; and

 (b) defined by the carriage service provider to which the numbers are allocated as the area in which the numbers will be made available for issue.

freephone number means a number used for a freephone service.

freephone service means a carriage service in which:

 (a) a customer issued with a number is charged for calls to the number for the service; and

 (b) the call charge for calls made to the number for the service from a standard telephone service (other than a public mobile telecommunications service) is zero.

geographic number see section 3.3.

geographic routing code see Part 2 of Schedule 5.

holds, for a number, has the same meaning as in section 17 of the Telecommunications (Numbering Charges) Act 1997.

implementation date see section 11.2.

incoming only international number means a number that is for use in connection with the supply of an incoming only international service.

incoming only international service means a carriage service:

 (a) by which incoming calls from outside Australia are routed to an Australian carriage service provider; and

 (b) for which access is not available for calls originating in Australia.

internal network service means a carriage service having numbers:

 (a) none of which is accessible by, or to, an end‑user; or

 (b) any of which, if used, is translated to a different number as a way of applying certain features or facilities to the call.

internal number means a number with the following characteristics:

 (a) it is not allocated by ACMA;

 (b) it is used in connection with the supply of a virtual private network service;

 (c) it indicates a feature of, or an address in, a telecommunications network used to supply a virtual private network service.

international direct dial service means a carriage service allowing an end‑user to dial international calls directly, without the assistance of an operator.

international directory assistance service means a carriage service:

 (a) provided to an end‑user to help find the number of a customer at a location outside Australia; and

 (b) provided by an operator or by means of:

 (i) an automated voice response system; or

 (ii) another technology‑based system.

international faults and service difficulties service means a carriage service provided to a customer for dealing with faults and service difficulties relating to international calls.

international number means:

 (a) a number consisting only of:

 (i) an opening set of digits that consists of a country code; and

 (ii) a following set of digits that consists of an area code (if any) used in the area to which the country code relates, but without the leading number ‘0’ (if any); and

 (iii) an ending set of digits that consists of a telephone number used in that area; or

 (b) a number consisting only of:

 (i) an opening set of digits that is a country code; and

 (ii) an ending set of digits that is a telephone number identifying a subscriber to a global telephone service, being a number that is not allocated by ACMA.

international service means a carriage service allowing an end‑user to make calls to destinations outside Australia.

international signalling point code see subsection 5A.1 (1).

local number (also known as subscriber number) means a set of digits that is a component of a geographic number and that, when dialled, gives the caller access to:

 (a) a customer at a place that has the same area code as the caller; or

 (b) a carriage service, content service, or a service associated with a carriage service or content service, supplied or operated at a place that has the same area code as the caller.

local rate number means a number used for a local rate service.

local rate service means a carriage service:

 (a) that is capable of voice telephony; and

 (b) that, for a call, involves the translation of the number dialled in making the call to a number that identifies a point of termination for the call; and

 (c) that is not a local service; and

 (d) for which:

 (i) the call charge for calls made using a standard telephone service (other than a public mobile telecommunications service) is equal to, or less than, the call charge for local calls; and

 (ii) responsibility for the residual charge for calls (if any) lies with the person to whom the number is issued.

local service means a carriage service:

 (a) that is capable of voice telephony; and

 (b) that is provided for receiving incoming calls at a location where that location is in an area identifiable, by the carriage service provider with which the call originates, from the number called and is:

 (i) a switching facility; or

 (ii) the premises occupied or used by a customer; or

 (iii) in the vicinity of the premises occupied or used by a customer.

low charge amount see subsection 3.13 (4).

mass calling service means a carriage service for which:

 (a) incoming calls are expected to be high volume, and possibly of short duration; and

 (b) special handling of calls by a carriage service provider may be provided to avoid network overloading.

message transfer part see subparagraph 5A.6 (1) (m) (i).

mobile telephone service means:

 (a) a carriage service that has the same meaning as public mobile telecommunications service in section 32 of the Act (other than paragraph 32 (1) (c)); or

 (b) a carriage service supplied or used in connection with that carriage service.

national and international operator call connection service means a carriage service provided to a customer to enable national and international calls to be made:

 (a) with the assistance of an operator; or

 (b) by means of an automated voice response system or another technology‑based system.

network activation, for a number, means the process:

 (a) by which the number is recognised by a given network; and

 (b) that allows calls to the number to be originated on, or transited through, the network.

network code see Part 2 of Schedule 5.

network terminal number see Part 2 of Schedule 5.

new provider or carrier see paragraph 11.3 (1) (c).

non‑ported number see section 11.2.

non‑selectable carriage service means a carriage service that does not allow a customer to select the carriage service provider supplying the carriage service for a number by pre‑selection or by the use of a pre‑selection over‑ride code.

number of broad geographic significance see section 3.7.

number of local geographic significance see sections 3.5 and 3.6.

number pool see section 6.3.

number portability see section 11.2.

operator service means a carriage service provided by an operator or which requires the assistance of an operator to complete a call made by an end‑user.

Notes

1.   The operator may be a person or an automated interface with the end‑user.

2.   Frequently‑used operator services include directory assistance and fault reporting.

originating access carriage service provider means a carriage service provider that provides access for connection by a customer to outgoing carriage services.

originating access service means a carriage service that connects a customer to outgoing carriage services.

originator see subsection 8.8 (1).

paging service means a carriage service allowing an end‑user to initiate signals or messages to be sent to a portable wireless receiving unit at which the signal is received, or on which the message is displayed.

portable number see section 11.2.

portable service see section 11.2.

ported number see section 11.2.

premium rate number means a number:

 (a) mentioned in Schedule 4C; and

 (b) used for a premium rate service.

premium rate service means a carriage service that is charged at a premium rate, independent of content or delivery technology.

Note   A premium rate service often provides information to a caller or allows the caller to provide information.

pre‑selection over‑ride service means a carriage service:

 (a) that provides carriage service provider identification codes for selection of alternative carriage service providers by customers on a call‑by‑call basis; and

 (b) by which a particular carriage service provider operating a telecommunications network is identified, in the carriage of a call to a point of interconnection between telecommunication networks, as the next recipient network for carriage of the call.

pre‑selection verification service means a carriage service provided to a customer to enable identification of the carriage service provider that is pre‑selected for a standard telephone service.

prime service deliverer means a carriage service provider that makes an agreement with a customer to provide a carriage service.

private network identification code see Part 2 of Schedule 5.

private network terminal number see Part 2 of Schedule 5.

private number see section 3.26.

private numbering scheme means a facility, offered as part of a carriage service, by which:

 (a) a customer of a carriage service provider may establish a series of numbers intended for use by a select group of telephone users, generally (but not necessarily) in the customer’s immediate circle; and

 (b) a telephone user in the group may make calls to other users in the group by dialling the numbers established under the facility.

Note   Arrangements supporting private numbering plans, including the ability to make calls to numbers established under a plan, may also exist without being part of the supply of a carriage service (eg a private network established by a PABX). Those arrangements are not covered by the definition of private numbering scheme.

public interest service means a carriage service:

 (a) providing access to information or assistance of wide public interest; and

 (b) that is not, of itself, a source of commercial benefit.

Note   A public information service may give information about commercial products or services, even though the public information service is not a source of commercial benefit.

public number means a number specified in section 2.2 for use in connection with the supply of carriage services to the public in Australia.

quarantined number has the meaning given by paragraph 3.83 (3) (a).

receiving carriage service provider see subsection 8.8 (2).

registered carriage service provider has the meaning given by section 3.45.

reserved number:

 (a) for allocation with withheld status — has the meaning given by paragraph 3.52 (3) (b); and

 (b) for allocation with reserved status — has the meaning given by paragraph 3.64 (3) (b); and

relevant mobile service see section 11.2.

restricted access service means a carriage service for which a prospective customer is required to register with the relevant content service provider as a user of that service.

Note   A restricted access service may give information or similar services to particular groups of customers, or deny them to particular groups. The restrictions may be related to censorship provisions, but this is not the only possible reason.

ring back price service means a carriage service for which an end‑user who has made and completed a call receives a call advising the end‑user of the cost of the completed call.

routine application see subsection 6.10 (1).

satellite telephone service means a carriage service allowing end‑users to make and receive calls via a satellite‑based facility.

selectable carriage service means a carriage service that allows a customer to select the carriage service provider supplying the operator service for a number by pre‑selection or by the use of a pre‑selection over‑ride code.

service profile means a record containing all the information about a customer of a universal personal telecommunications service necessary to provide the customer with the service.

Note   Each service profile is associated with a single universal personal telecommunications number.

shared number see sections 3.16, 3.17 and 3.17A.

signalling area network code — see section 5A.2.

signalling point means a node, or a discrete point in a network, that performs either or both of the following functions:

 (a) originating and receiving signalling messages;

 (b) transfers signalling messages from one signalling link to another signalling link.

signalling point operator means a carriage service provider who:

 (a) wishes to operate a signalling point that has at least 1 message transfer part in the international signalling network; or

 (b) already operates a signalling point of that kind.

special call service means a carriage service allowing an end‑user:

 (a) to make conference calls or broadcast calls; or

 (b) to create or maintain a group address list for use in making calls to multiple customers; or

 (c) to create or maintain codes to facilitate abbreviated calling.

special services number see section 3.11.

standard zone unit means:

 (a) the area of a charging zone, excluding the area of any charging precincts in the zone; or

 (b) the area of a charging precinct; or

 (c) a new standard zone unit created in accordance with subsection 3.8F (3).

Note   This plan commenced on 31 December 1997. Until the commencement of Division 2 of Part 1 of Chapter 3, charging zones and charging precincts were based solely on the areas specified in attachments to the document known as the ‘Telstra Public Switched Telephone Service Tariff’, forming part of the document known as the ‘Telstra Basic Carriage Service Tariff’, as in force immediately before 1 July 1997.

A new standard zone unit will not be listed in those documents.

supplementary control service means a carriage service allowing an end‑user to start, change or end an additional capability that, in some way, makes an originating access or associated service more useful.

Examples of supplementary control services:

1.   Starting, modifying and ending call forwarding services.

2.   Starting, modifying and ending call waiting services.

terminating access carriage service provider means a carriage service provider that provides access for connection by a customer to incoming carriage services.

testing service means a carriage service allowing an end‑user to test features of the customer’s telephone or a carriage service provider’s network.

Example of testing device:

A demonstration of the different tones used by a carriage service provider’s network (such as ring tone or busy tone).

test network means 1 or more telecommunications network elements that are interconnected for at least 1 of the following purposes:

 (a) developing a product or an aspect of telecommunications;

 (b) testing a product or an aspect of telecommunications;

 (c) analysing a product or an aspect of telecommunications.

transit carriage service provider means a carriage service provider supplying a transit service which interconnects carriage service providers for the purpose of extending a carriage service.

Uniform Resource Identifier means a string of characters used to identify and locate an object or resource accessible via the Internet. 

universal personal telecommunications profile access service means a carriage service allowing a customer of a universal personal telecommunications service to:

 (a) establish, modify and otherwise make use of the customer’s service profile; or

 (b) make calls so that the call charge for an outgoing call is billed only to an account associated with the universal personal telecommunications service.

universal personal telecommunications service means a carriage service:

 (a) allowing a customer to receive calls, from any telephone terminal attached to a carriage service provider’s network, that were made to a universal personal telecommunications number issued to the customer; and

 (b) includes a service profile for each customer to allow:

 (i) a carriage service provider’s network to direct calls to an appropriate telephone terminal; or

 (ii) a telephone terminal to be identified in advance as the reception point for calls to a given universal personal telecommunications number.

virtual private network service means a carriage service the features of which could be provided using a private telecommunications network.

Note   The service is virtual because the transmission and switching facilities used by a carriage service provider to achieve the private network are, effectively, shared by all customers using that carriage service provider’s virtual private network service.

Notes to the Telecommunications Numbering Plan 1997

Note 1

The Telecommunications Numbering Plan 1997 (in force under subsection 455 (1) of the Telecommunications Act 1997) as shown in this compilation is amended as indicated in the Tables below.

For all relevant information pertaining to application, saving or transitional provisions see Table A.

Under the Legislative Instruments Act 2003, which came into force on 1 January 2005, it is a requirement for all non‑exempt legislative instruments to be registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.

Table of Instruments

(a) Telecommunications Numbering Plan Amendment 2000 (No. 2) was revoked by Telecommunications Numbering Plan Amendment 2000 (No. 3).

Table of Amendments

Note 2

Item [3] of Schedule 1 to the Telecommunications Numbering Plan Amendment 1999 (No. 3) provides as follows:

[3] Schedule 12, after the definition of national and international operator call connection service

insert

national rate service means a carriage service:

 (a) that is capable of voice telephony or a form of communication that is equivalent to voice telephony; and

 (b) that involves translation of the number dialled for a call using the service to a number that identifies the point of termination of the call; and

 (c) under which the rate of charge for a call from a standard telephone service (except a public mobile telephone service) does not exceed the highest rate charged by the national universal service provider for a call from a standard service to an Australian geographic number.

The proposed amendment was misdescribed and is not included in this compilation.

Note 3

Telecommunications Numbering Plan Variation 2007 (No. 3).

The following amendments commence on 31 May 2007:

Schedule 1

[1] Paragraph 2.2 (1) (k)

substitute

 (k) ENUM trial numbers; and

 (l) location independent communications service numbers.

[2] After subsection 3.4 (1)

insert

Note 1   Carriage service providers applying for geographic numbers to provide local services through IP telephony are required to have regard to the guidelines in Part 5 of Schedule 7 when completing an application.

Note 2   Part 4 of Schedule 2 to the Act requires that if a carriage service provider supplies a carriage service to an end‑user, and the end‑user has a public number, then the carriage service provider must give to Telstra such information as Telstra reasonably requires to meet its obligation to maintain an integrated public number database.

[3] Schedule 4, Part 1

omit

insert

[4] Schedule 7, Part 2, item 2.6, after the note

insert

 2.7 If the application is for geographic numbers for local services provided using IP telephony:

 (a) a statement that the carriage service provider has had regard to the guidelines in Part 5 of Schedule 7; and

 (b) sufficient information to satisfy the requirements for geographic numbers set out in the table in the guidelines.

 2.8 A carriage service provider complies with paragraph 2.7 (a) if the carriage service provider states in writing that he or she:

 (a) has taken into account the guidelines in Part 5 of Schedule 7; and

 (b) understands his or her obligations with respect to the use of geographic numbers pursuant to Chapter 3 of the Numbering Plan.

[5] Schedule 7, Part 3, after item 3.6

insert

 3.7 If the application is for location independent communications service numbers for location independent communications services, a statement that the carriage service provider has had regard to the guidelines in Part 5 of Schedule 7.

[6] Schedule 7, after Part 4

insert