Area code 868

{{Short description| North American telephone area code for Trinidad and Tobago}} {{Infobox country telephone plan | country = Trinidad and Tobago | country_link = Trinidad and Tobago | continent = North America | map_image = LocationTrinidadAndTobago.png | map_caption = Location of Trinidad and Tobago | map_size = 200px | map_alt = | country_calling_code = 1 | international_prefix = 011 | trunk_prefix = 1 | regulator = | plan_membership = [[North American Numbering Plan|NANP]] | nsn_length = | plan_type = [[Closed telephone numbering plan|Closed]] | number_format = 868 nxx xxxx | codes_list = List of Trinidad and Tobago dialling codes }}

'''Area code 868''' is a telephone [[NPA code|area code]] in the [[North American Numbering Plan]] (NANP) for the Caribbean country [[Trinidad and Tobago]], assigned in 1996, and in service since 1. June 1997.

The internal [[telephone numbering plan]] of the country is known as the National Numbering Plan.<ref name="National Numbering Plan2">{{cite web|url=http://www.tatt.org.tt/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=qr3EZVEJ1NA%3d&tabid=89&language=en-US |title=National Numbering Plan: Central Office (CO) Codes and Home Network Identifier (HNI) |author=Admin. |year=2010 |publisher=Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) |access-date=30 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721194851/http://www.tatt.org.tt/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=qr3EZVEJ1NA%3D&tabid=89&language=en-US |archive-date=21 July 2011 }}</ref> It regulates the assignment of [[telephone numbers]] by the [[Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago]], which holds responsibility for [[telecommunications]] in the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tatt.org.tt/WhoWeAre.aspx |title=Who We Are |year=2010 |publisher=Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) |access-date=30 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100830181525/http://www.tatt.org.tt/WhoWeAre.aspx |archive-date=30 August 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Due to a long established affiliation with NANP,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tatt.org.tt/WhoAreWe/AffiliationsandMemorandaofUnderstanding.aspx |title=Affiliations and Memoranda of Understanding |year=2010 |publisher=Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) |access-date=30 July 2010 |quote=Trinidad & Tobago is a participating country in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), which is the basic numbering scheme throughout the US, Canada, the Bahamas and 16 Caribbean countries. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100905194920/http://tatt.org.tt/WhoAreWe/AffiliationsandMemorandaofUnderstanding.aspx |archive-date=5 September 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> telephone numbers in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago are often styled as "(868) NXX-xxxx". The [[ITU-T|International Telecommunications Union]]'s standards such as [[E.164]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-E.164/en |title=E.164 : The international public telecommunication numbering plan |author=Admin. |year=2008 |publisher=[[International Telecommunication Union]] |access-date=30 July 2010 }}</ref> and [[E.123]] recommend the inclusion of a "+1" prefix to indicate 868 is a part of the NANP.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-E.123/en |title=E.123 : Notation for national and international telephone numbers, e-mail addresses and Web addresses |author=Admin. |year=2008 |publisher=[[International Telecommunication Union]] |access-date=30 July 2010 }}</ref>

==History== Area code 868 was created by a split of [[area code 809]] which had been serving all of the Caribbean until the 1990s. A permissive dialing period commenced from 1 June 1997<ref name="plan">{{cite web|url=http://www.nanpa.com/nas/public/npasSince1995Report.do?method=displayNpasSince1995Report|title=Planning Letter(s): IL96/06-001|author=NANP Administration System|date=July 2010|work=NeuStar, Inc.|publisher=NANP System administrator|access-date=30 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628225852/http://www.nanpa.com/nas/public/npasSince1995Report.do?method=displayNpasSince1995Report|archive-date=28 June 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> to 31 May 1998, after which all calls placed to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago required the new prefix.<ref name="plan" /> The local telephone regulator proposed the area code 868, which spells TNT -- an abbreviation for Trinidad and Tobago -- on a telephone keypad, to reflect the nation's identity within the NANP.

==Dialing to Trinidad and Tobago== *; From within North America (NANP) When calling Trinidad and Tobago from elsewhere in the North American Numbering Plan (e.g., from the [[United States]] or [[Canada]]), callers dial as if undertaking regular [[ten-digit dialing]] within those countries. Callers must simply dial 1 + 868 + seven digit [[phone number]].

*; From outside NANP When calling to Trinidad and Tobago from outside the NANP (e.g., from the [[United Kingdom]]), callers must dial their international dialing prefix followed by 1 to access the North American Numbering Plan. For example, a call placed from the United Kingdom would be dialled as 00 + 1 + 868 + local seven digit phone number.

== Dialing within Trinidad and Tobago == When placing a [[phone call]] from Trinidad and Tobago, also known as HNPA (home numbering plan area) dialing, callers simply use [[seven-digit dialing]] (i.e. dialing the last seven digits of the phone number).

*;To North America (NANP) When calling other places in the North American Numbering Plan, callers dial as if undertaking regular [[ten-digit dialing]] in those countries. Callers dial 1 + [[List of North American Numbering Plan area codes|NPA area code]] + seven digit [[phone number]].

Though usually toll-free when dialed from the US, not all [[Toll-free telephone number|1-800 phone numbers]] are toll-free when dialed from Trinidad and Tobago, and may be treated as a toll call.

*;To areas outside the NANP When calling to areas outside the NANP (e.g., the [[United Kingdom]]), callers dial 011 + [[List of country calling codes|country calling code]] + phone number. In the case of the UK, a user would dial 011 + [[Telephone numbers in the United Kingdom|44]] + UK phone number.

===General=== :National Operations Centre: 911, Police Force: 999, Ambulance: 811, Fire: 990 :Information/Directory Assistance: 6411,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tstt.net.tt/index.cfm?p=http://tstt.net.tt/personal/products/other_services.cfm?shwSct=dir |title=Directory Assistance 6411 |year=2010 |publisher=Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (TSTT) |access-date=30 July 2010 }}</ref> 611 (proposed replacement)<ref name="National Numbering Plan2" /> :Operator: 0

==See also== * [[List of North American Numbering Plan area codes]] * [[Area codes in the Caribbean]]

==Notes== {{reflist}}

==References== * {{cite web |url=http://www.itu.int/itudoc/itu-t/number/t/tto/79162.html |title=Trinidad and Tobago National Numbering Plan |author=Admin. |year=2001 |publisher=[[International Telecommunication Union]] |access-date=30 July 2010 }}

==External links== *[http://www.tatt.org.tt/ Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago] *[http://www.nanpa.com North American Numbering Plan Administrator] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090828173214/http://areacodedownload.com/868/index.html List of exchanges from AreaCodeDownload.com, 868 Area Code]

{{Area code box | State = Trinidad and Tobago |This=868 | N = [[area code 246|246]], [[area code 473|473]] | S = [[Telephone country code|Country code]] [[+58|58]] in [[Venezuela]] | E = [[Atlantic Ocean]] | W = [[Telephone country code|Country code]] [[+58|58]] in [[Venezuela]] |S1=Barbados|S2=Grenada}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Area Code 868}} [[Category:Area codes in the Caribbean|868]] [[Category:Communications in Trinidad and Tobago]]