VoIP vs non-VoIP numbers: how 12 countries differ
Where you can tell a VoIP number from its digits, and where only a database can.
Which countries give VoIP its own range?
| Country | Mobile numbers | VoIP numbers |
|---|---|---|
| United States | North American Numbering Plan: 10 digits, a 3-digit area code and a 7-digit number (NXX-NXX-XXXX) | No separate VoIP range. Since the FCC order 15-70 (effective January 11, 2016), VoIP providers obtain numbers directly in ordinary area codes, so services check the line type in carrier databases (for example Twilio Lookup, which returns mobile, fixedVoip or nonFixedVoip) |
| United Kingdom | 07 followed by 9 digits (11 digits nationally, +44 7xxx xxxxxx) | Yes. Ofcom set aside 056 numbers for location-independent (VoIP) services in 2004; geographic 01 and 02 numbers can also carry VoIP |
| Canada | North American Numbering Plan, shared with the US: 10 digits, no mobile-specific prefix | No separate VoIP range: Canada shares NANP area codes with the US, so line type is read from carrier data. Twilio notes that Canadian numbers need special approval for its line-type lookups |
| Australia | 04xx xxx xxx (10 digits nationally, +61 4xx xxx xxx) | Yes. 0550 was created in 2007 for location-independent services such as VoIP; its exact status in the 2025 Numbering Plan comes from secondary sources |
| Germany | Mobile numbers start with 015, 016 or 017 (+49 15x, 16x, 17x) | Yes. Location-independent 032 numbers are widely used for internet telephony, while the Bundesnetzagentur states that mobile numbers "may be used exclusively for mobile services" |
| France | 06 or 07 followed by 8 digits (10 digits nationally, +33 6 or +33 7) | Yes. ARCEP opened the 09 range in December 2005 for non-geographic services such as broadband telephony |
| Netherlands | 06 followed by 8 digits (10 digits nationally, +31 6) | Yes. 085 and 091 are location-independent numbers; the government describes 085 as used for services such as internet calling |
| Spain | Nine digits starting with 6 or 7 (+34 6xx xxx xxx or +34 7xx xxx xxx), as restated by the CNMC in April 2026 | Yes. Since April 2026 voice services delivered over IP may only use numbers starting with 51; the older nomadic numbers are being withdrawn |
| Italy | Mobile numbers start with 3 (+39 3xx …), typically 9 to 10 digits; fixed numbers start with 0 | Yes. AGCOM placed nomadic voice services in the 55 range (resolution 11/06/CIR); fixed VoIP can use geographic 0 numbers |
| Poland | Nine digits in a closed plan since 2009; mobile numbers use prefixes such as 45, 50, 51, 53, 57, 60, 66, 69, 72, 73, 78, 79 and 88 (list from secondary sources) | Reported: the 39 range has been used for nomadic VoIP since a 2006 UKE decision; not checked against the current plan. |
| Sweden | 07x followed by 7 digits (10 digits nationally, +46 7x xxx xx xx) | No dedicated VoIP range confirmed in PTS material (not verified); 075 is for personal number services. |
| Ireland | 08x followed by 7 digits (10 digits nationally, +353 8x xxx xxxx); mobile prefixes include 083, 085, 086, 087 and 089 (secondary source) | Yes. ComReg designated the non-geographic 076 range for VoIP services in 2005 |
From each regulator's numbering documents, checked 2026-10-18; see each country page for sources.
Why can't you tell in the US and Canada?
The North American Numbering Plan has no mobile prefix. Since the FCC order 15-70 (effective January 11, 2016), VoIP providers can get numbers straight from the numbering administrators, in the same area codes as mobile and landline phones. Services therefore ask a line-type database, such as Twilio Lookup, which classes Google Voice as "nonFixedVoip".
How do European ranges help?
European regulators usually reserve mobile ranges for mobile services. Germany's Bundesnetzagentur says mobile numbers "may be used exclusively for mobile services", France reserves 06 and 07, and Spain moved all IP voice services to the 51 range in April 2026. A service can filter on the first digits, so a SIM-based mobile number from those ranges passes that first check.
Pick a country with a mobile range
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Frequently asked questions
Is a UK 056 number a mobile number?
No. Ofcom set 056 aside for location-independent (VoIP) services in 2004. UK mobiles start with 07.
Can a ported number change line type?
Porting moves a number between operators; databases then record the new operator and line type. That is one reason services read a database rather than the digits.
Sources
- Twilio Lookup: Line Type Intelligence (checked 2026-10-18)
- FCC 15-70 (checked 2026-10-18)
- The Register: no mobile registration database (2010) (checked 2026-10-18)
- Directive (EU) 2018/1972, EECC (checked 2026-10-18)
- ARCEP: mobile operators (checked 2026-10-18)
- Mobile World Live: Spanish lines pass 63 million (checked 2026-10-18)
- AGCOM numbering plan annex (checked 2026-10-18)
- Wikipedia: telephone numbers in Ireland (checked 2026-10-18)