mathematics

Telephone numbers in Switzerland

Telephone numbers in Switzerland is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Telephone numbers in Switzerland rather than just read about it. In short: Telephone numbers in Switzerland are defined and assigned according to the Swiss telephone numbering plan administered by the Swiss Federal Office of Communications. The plan has been changed several times and the most recent reorganization was implemented in March 2002.

Key takeaways

Telephone numbers in Switzerland belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Telephone numbers in Switzerland to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Telephone numbers in Switzerland from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Telephone numbers in Switzerland are defined and assigned according to the Swiss telephone numbering plan administered by the Swiss Federal Office of Communications. The plan has been changed several times and the most recent reorganization was implemented in March 2002.

Plan of 2002 The Swiss telephone numbering plan implements the ITU-T recommendation E.164 and is designated E.164/2002, based on its last major revision in 2002. It is a closed numbering plan, which means that all telephone numbers, including the area code, have a fixed number of digits. Swiss area codes are officially termed national destination codes (NDC). A complete telephone number consists of ten digits: 0xx xxx xx xx. Two formats are distinguished: three digits for the NDC and seven digits for the subscriber number, and four digits for the NDC and six digits for the subscriber number. However, a few exceptions exist. The associated dial plan requires that all numbers, even for local calls, must be dialed with the assigned NDC, in contrast to previous plans. When dialing from within the country, a prefix 0 must be dialed. The plan was amended a few times, e.g., the transition of numbering zone 01 into 044 and 043.

National destination code

The national destination code (NDC) is the area code for Swiss telephone numbers. Within Switzerland the trunk code 0 must be dialed before the NDC, while it is not needed from international locations. Telephone numbers are portable between numbering zones (ZN) or between mobile operators, and therefore an NDC does not imply that a caller is actually located in a particular zone or is serviced by any particular mobile operator. For landlines it is now merely an indication of the region where the number was originally attributed to a subscriber. The national destination codes are the following.

21 – ZN Lausanne 22 – ZN Geneva 24 – ZN Yverdon, Aigle 26 – ZN Fribourg 27 – ZN Valais/Wallis 31 – ZN Bern and surrounding areas. 32 – ZN Biel/Bienne, Neuchâtel, Solothurn, Jura 33 – ZN Berner Oberland 34 – ZN Region Bern-Emme 41 – ZN Central Switzerland (Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Zug) 43 – ZN Zurich 44 – ZN Zurich (formerly 1) 51 – rail telecommunication networks (SBB CFF FFS) 52 – ZN Winterthur, Schaffhausen 55 – ZN Rapperswil 56 – ZN Baden, Zurzach 58 – business telecommunication networks 61 – ZN Region Basel 62 – ZN Region Olten–Langenthal (Oberaargau)–Aargau-West 71 – ZN Region Eastern Switzerland (St. Gallen, Thurgau, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden) 74 – mobile services: paging services 75 – mobile services: GSM / UMTS - Swisscom 76 – mobile services: GSM / UMTS - Sunrise (with MVNOs: Yallo, TalkTalk, Lebara, MTV Mobile, Aldi) 77 – mobile services: GSM / UMTS - various MVNOs: M-Budget (774), Wingo (775), Mucho, Lycamobile (779), ok.-mobile, Tele2 78 – mobile services: GSM / UMTS - Salt (with MVNOs: CoopMobile till 2018-12-31, UPC till 2018-12-31) 79 – mobile services: GSM / UMTS - Swisscom 800 – freephone numbers 81 – ZN Chur 840 – shared-cost numbers 842 – shared-cost numbers 844 – shared-cost numbers 848 – shared-cost numbers 086 – voicemail access (+ 9 digits phone without the initial 0; e.g. +41 086 66 555 44 33 is the voice mail of +41 66 555 44 33) 868 – test numbers - Not accessible from abroad 869 – VPN access code (+ 3 – 10 digits) 878 – personal numbers (UPT) 900 – Premium rate service for business, marketing 901 – Premium rate service for entertainment, 906 – Premium rate service for adult entertainment 91 – ZN Ticino, Moesa 98 – Inter-network routing numbers - Not accessible from abroad - Non diallable 99 – Internal network numbers - Not accessible from abroad - Non diallable

Short codes Short dialing codes are assigned for special services or network features.

0 – Trunk prefix for calls within Switzerland 00 – International call prefix 1 – Short numbers, see table below (3, 4 or 5 digit length) 107xx – Carrier selection code (+ national or international number) 108xx – Carrier selection code (+ national or international number) 112 – Police 1145 – Directory enquiries for blind/partially sighted (Swisscom) 117 – Police 118 – Fire brigade 140 – Road assistance (TCS) 1414 – Air ambulance (REGA - outside Valais) 1415 – Air ambulance (Air Glaciers - Valais only) 143 – Psychological assistance ("the Helping Hand") 144 – Ambulance 145 – Poisoning/intoxication emergency 147 – Helpline for children 1600 – Regional announcement voice mail 161 – Speaking clock (Shutdown) 163 – Traffic report and travel information 164 – Sport news and lottery 166 – Railway information 176 – Feld Abfrage System 187 – Info about snow avalanches 188 – Info about exhibitions 1802 – Directory enquiries (Tele2, when dialled is rerouted to 1818) 1811 – Directory enquiries (Swisscom) 1818 – Directory enquiries (Sunrise) 1880 – Directory enquiries (Salt)

Alternate proposed plan Instead of E.164/2002, another more ambitious numbering plan was proposed. In this plan the prefix 0 was discarded, and the area codes were defined differently, with 20 to 49 for geographic areas, 50 to 59 reserved, 60-69 for nationwide numbering, 70-79 for mobile services, 80-89 for shared-cost and toll-free numbers, and 90 for premium-rate services. The plan was not implemented because it required too many phone number and prefix changes, with associated high costs.

Changes

After 2002 The area code 01 was replaced with 044 (Zurich)

Between 1996 and 2002 (plan 2002) On 29 March 2002 the Swiss dialing plan changed to a closed dialing plan, i.e. the zone prefix become mandatory also for local calls.

058 - Corporate access (since 1 June 2000)

Until 1996 (plan 1996) The previous plan removed a lot of area prefixes and added the seventh digit in phone numbers (usually a phone number (0cc) yx xx xx became (0dd) zzx xx xx).

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Telephone numbers in Switzerland

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Telephone numbers in Switzerland claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Telephone numbers in Switzerland before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Telephone numbers in Switzerland ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Telephone numbers in Switzerland

In research: Telephone numbers in Switzerland appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Telephone numbers in Switzerland in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Telephone numbers in Switzerland is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Switzerland communications-related lists, Telecommunications in Switzerland, Telephone numbers by country, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Telephone numbers in Switzerland outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Telephone numbers in Switzerland” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Telephone numbers in Switzerland in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Telephone numbers in Switzerland means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Telephone numbers in Switzerland out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Telephone numbers in Switzerland in simple terms?

Why does Telephone numbers in Switzerland matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Telephone numbers in Switzerland?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Telephone numbers in Switzerland.