The longest a phone number can theoretically be is governed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in its Recommendation E.164, titled "The international public telecommunication numbering plan." This standard dictates the format for international telephone numbers to ensure global interoperability.
According to ITU-T E.164, the maximum length of a complete international phone number is 15 digits. This includes the country code, the national destination code (like an area code), and the subscriber number.
Let's break this down:
Country Code: This can be one to three digits long.
National Destination Code and Subscriber Number: The combined length of these parts has a maximum of 12 digits.
Therefore, even with the shortest possible country code (1 digit), the subscriber number could theoretically be up to 12 digits long, resulting in a 13-digit international phone number. Conversely, with a 3-digit country code, the subscriber number would be limited to a maximum of 12 digits, still adhering to the 15-digit overall limit.
Why this limit?
This 15-digit limit was established to ensure efficient argentina mobile phone number list routing and processing of calls across the global telecommunications network. It provides a balance between allowing sufficient numbering capacity for individual countries and maintaining a manageable length for network infrastructure to handle.
Are there any numbers that seem longer?
While the E.164 standard sets the technical limit for dialable phone numbers, you might encounter longer sequences of digits associated with specific services or internal systems. These are generally not considered standard "phone numbers" in the globally routable sense. Examples could include:
Internal extensions within a company's PBX system: These can be several digits long but are only used within the organization's network.
Access codes or PINs used in conjunction with a phone number: These are additional digits for authentication or routing to specific services.
Concatenation of multiple numbers for specific technical purposes: This is not a standard phone number but rather a sequence of identifiers.
In conclusion, according to the international standard E.164, the longest possible international phone number is 15 digits. While longer sequences of digits might exist for specific, non-standard purposes, they do not fall under the definition of a globally routable telephone number. As you are in Dhaka, Bangladesh, any phone number you encounter for international dialing will adhere to this maximum length after including the country code (+880).