N11 code

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An N11 code or N11 number (said as "N-one-one") is a special abbreviated dialing telephone number within the North American Numbering Plan, which allows access to special services. Each of these eight numbers prevents 10,000 telephone numbers (from N11-0000 to N11-9999) from being used. Only non-geographic area codes, such as toll-free 800/888/877/866/855 numbers and 900 numbers may use N11 as the telephone exchange prefix, since the area code must always be dialed for these numbers.

Usage is generally assigned as follows:

2-1-1: community services
3-1-1: government services, non-emergency
4-1-1: directory assistance
5-1-1: traffic information or police non-emergency services
6-1-1: telephone company (telco) customer service and repair
7-1-1: TDD relay for the deaf
8-1-1: underground public utility location or non-urgent health tele-triage / tele-health services (or telco business office)
9-1-1: emergency services

911 and 411 work from nearly every telephone in the U.S. and Canada, while the others vary from place to place. Generally, only 4-1-1 calls incur a toll. 911 access is mandated by law, even on lines with no service (a "soft" dial tone). 6-1-1 (formerly 8-1-1) may also be accessible to activate service on such lines, and 3-1-1 may be available as well for urgent (but non-emergency) calls to police, or any call to local government in some places.

Other community services are provided through 2-1-1, but only if a non-profit organization such as the United Way operates it locally. Likewise, local or state/provincial government may or may not operate traffic information through 5-1-1. 8-1-1 will be mandatory in the U.S. in 2007, as 7-1-1 is now. Unlike 9-1-1, these may or may not be available on a phone without paid service.

0-1-1 followed by a country code is used to dial internationally, but this use is not considered an N11 code. 1-1-1 is not available in the NANP, because 11 is the prefix used to access vertical service codes from rotary phones, and is essentially meaningless to the system otherwise.

N11 code

See also