+1... +2... +3... +4... +5... +6... +7... +8... +9... By Country Codes +0... By Country Codes A... B... C... D... E... F... G... H... I... J... K... L... M... N... O... P... Q... R... S... T... U... V... W... Y... Z...
Updated 21 May 2007 By Country Code By Country Name Other WTNG pages Acknowledgements
World Telephone Numbering Guide Select by Country Code Select by Country Name Main Page Main Page
Calendar Calendar
Glossary Glossary
History History
Regional Services Regional Services
Special Services Special Services
What's New What's New
Hosted by The Interocitor

Mooney's Mini-Flags
|cf| Central African Republic +236


Number Format

Area Code:            none
Subscriber Number:    6 digits
Trunk Prefix:         n/a
International Prefix: 00 (formerly 19)

Numbering range information

late 2007 - expansion to 8-digit national numbers

A new national renumbering plan will expand existing 6-digit telephone numbers to 8 digits, surpassing the earlier plans to expand to a 7-digit format.

No details regarding extra digits and dates of implementation are known at this time.

(with news courtesy Sergiu Rosenzweig)

Source: ART (regulator) announcement (via ITU, 28 February 2007)

February 2007 - numbering plan update

Number range   Service, Carrier
------------   ----------------
+236 01xxxx    mobile, A-cell
+236 02xxxx    mobile, A-cell
+236 03xxxx    mobile, Telecel
+236 04xxxx    mobile, Telecel
+236 05xxxx    mobile, Telecel
+236 06xxxx    mobile, Nation Link
+236 07xxxx    mobile, Socatel
+236 08xxxx    mobile, Nation Link
+236 09xxxx    mobile, Nation Link
+236 20xxxx    mobile, Telecel
+236 21xxxx    fixed, Socatel
+236 31xxxx    fixed, Socatel
+236 36xxxx    value-added, Invivent (Switzerland-based carrier)
+236 40xxxx    mobile, A-cell
+236 44xxxx    mobile, Nation Link
+236 45xxxx    mobile, A-cell
+236 46xxxx    mobile, A-cell
+236 48xxxx    mobile, Nation Link
+236 49xxxx    mobile, Nation Link 
+236 50xxxx    mobile, Telecel
+236 54xxxx    mobile, Telecel
+236 55xxxx    mobile, Telecel
+236 56xxxx    mobile, Telecel
+236 57xxxx    mobile, Telecel
+236 58xxxx    mobile, Telecel
+236 59xxxx    mobile, Nation Link 
+236 61xxxx    fixed, Socatel
+236 62xxxx    fixed, Socatel
+236 65xxxx    fixed, Socatel
+236 69xxxx    value-added, Invivent (Switzerland-based carrier)
+236 70xxxx    mobile, A-cell
+236 74xxxx    value-added, Atlas (UK-based carrier)
+236 75xxxx    value-added, Atlas (UK-based carrier)
+236 76xxxx    fixed, Socatel
+236 80xxxx    mobile, A-cell
+236 81xxxx    mobile, Socatel
+236 85xxxx    mobile, A-cell
+236 88xxxx    mobile, Nation Link
+236 89xxxx    mobile, Nation Link
+236 90xxxx    mobile, A-cell
+236 95xxxx    mobile, A-cell
+236 96xxxx    mobile, A-cell
+236 97xxxx    mobile, A-cell
+236 98xxxx    mobile, A-cell
+236 99xxxx    mobile, A-cell
Source: ART (regulator) announcement (via ITU, 28 February 2007)

August 2005 - renumbering to 7 digits postponed

Central African Republic numbers were to expand from 6-digit to 7-digit format. This change was originally scheduled for 1 January 2005 but is postponed indefinitely due to "technical difficulties". The existing 6-digit national number format remains in effect.

Some changes to the current numbering assignments are noted since the September 2004 announcement of the expansion plan:

Number format  Details
-------------  -------
+236 01xxxx    NEW mobile GSM - Atlantique Cellulaire-RCA
+236 02xxxx    mobile GSM - Atlantique Cellulaire-RCA (formerly Afripa GSM)
+236 08xxxx    NEW mobile GSM - Nationlink Telecom
+236 50xxxx    changed to +236 60xxxx?
+236 60xxxx    mobile GSM - Telecel Centrafrique (changed from +236 50xxxx?)
+236 65xxxx    Mbaïki-Carnot-Kembe (changed from Bangui/booth links?)
Also, +236 31xxxx is indicated for the places of Bossangoa, Bangassou, Boda, Bria Bouar, and not just Bouar.

Source: ART announcement (22 August 2005, via ITU).

(news tip courtesy Sergiu Rosenzweig)

January 2005 - original plan for 7-digit national numbering

The plan to expand from 6-digit to 7-digit format was announced in 2004 with an original plan to implement this change in January 2005. The number expansion was postponed (see above). It is unclear when the expansion will be attempted again, and whether the same conversion rules would still apply. There remains a substantial amount of number capacity under the current 6-digit format.

International prefix '00' is now standard.

Existing 6-digit numbers were to be prepended with a digit according to the type of service.

New 7-digit numbers were to take permissive effect 23h00 local time 31 December 2004.

Mandatory use of the new format was originally planned from 30 June 2005.

Conversion plan was as follows:

Old Format   New format    Service/Location [Carrier]
----------   ----------    --------------------------
+236 01xxxx  +236 201xxxx  Mobile GSM [Afripa Telecom]
+236 03xxxx  +236 503xxxx  Mobile GSM [Telecel Centrafrique]
+236 04xxxx  +236 504xxxx  Mobile GSM [Telecel Centrafrique]
+236 05xxxx  +236 505xxxx  Mobile GSM [Telecel Centrafrique]
+236 06xxxx  +236 906xxxx  Mobile GSM [NationLink]
+236 07xxxx  +236 707xxxx  Mobile [Socatel]
+236 09xxxx  +236 909xxxx  Mobile GSM [NationLink]
+236 20xxxx  +236 502xxxx  Mobile GSM [Telecel Centrafrique]
+236 21xxxx  +236 621xxxx  Berberati [Socatel]
+236 31xxxx  +236 631xxxx  Bouar [Socatel]
+236 50xxxx  +236 500xxxx  Mobile GSM [Telecel Centrafrique]
+236 61xxxx  +236 661xxxx  Bangui [Socatel]
+236 62xxxx  +236 662xxxx  Bangui [Socatel]
+236 65xxxx  +236 665xxxx  Bangui, also remote links to booths [Socatel]
+236 761212  +236 6761212  Internet Service [Socatel]
+236 81xxxx  +236 681xxxx  Bambari [Socatel]
The resulting national number ranges would be:

Number range  Service
------------  -------
+236 20xxxxx  mobile GSM [Afripa]
+236 21xxxxx  mobile GSM [Afripa]
+236 50xxxxx  mobile GSM [Telecel Centrafrique]
+236 55xxxxx  mobile GSM [Telecel Centrafrique]
+236 62xxxxx  fixed - Berberati [Socatel]
+236 63xxxxx  fixed - Bouar [Socatel]
+236 64xxxxx  fixed - Bossangoa [Socatel]
+236 66xxxxx  fixed - Bangui, remote links to booths [Socatel]
+236 67xxxxx  value added services [Socatel]
+236 68xxxxx  fixed - Bambari [Socatel]
+236 69xxxxx  fixed - Bangassou [Socatel]
+236 70xxxxx  mobile [Socatel]
+236 71xxxxx  mobile [Socatel]
+236 80xxxxx  special services
+236 90xxxxx  mobile GSM [NationLink]
+236 91xxxxx  mobile GSM [NationLink]
Source: ART announcement (24 September 2004, via ITU, link no longer available).

Other information

Carrier is SOCATEL.

Regulator is Agence chargée de la Régulation des Télécommunications (ART).

Return to Top Return to Top