Area Code 442 – Sukhumi

Geographic Overview

The area code 442 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) assigned to the city of Sukhumi (also known as Sokhumi), the capital of the disputed territory of Abkhazia. In the context of the Georgian national numbering plan, this code is used for landline telephone services within the Sukhumi metropolitan area and its immediate surroundings. The region is located on the Black Sea coast and is recognized internationally as part of Georgia, though it operates under a separate de facto administration. For telecommunications purposes, calls to this code are routed via the Georgian PSTN infrastructure, and the code is administered by the Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC).

Dialing Formats

When calling a fixed-line number in Sukhumi from within Georgia, subscribers must dial the trunk prefix 0, followed by the area code 442 and the subscriber's 6-digit local number. For example, a local number such as 123456 would be dialed as 0 442 123456 from any other part of Georgia. From abroad, callers must use the international access prefix (typically + or 00), followed by the Georgian country code 995, the area code 442 (without the leading zero), and the 6-digit local number. Thus, the international format becomes +995 442 123456. It is important to note that the total length of a national significant number (NSN) for Georgian fixed lines is 9 digits, which includes the area code and the subscriber number.

Geographic Coverage and Administration

The 442 area code serves the administrative center of Sukhumi and several nearby settlements within the Abkhazian region. The city itself is the largest urban area in the region and hosts key government and commercial entities. Due to the political status of Abkhazia, the actual telecommunication infrastructure may be operated by local entities, but the numbering resources are officially part of the Georgian plan. This can lead to occasional routing complexities, especially for international calls, but the ITU-T E.164 standard ensures that the dialing format remains consistent.

Caller Instructions

For local callers within Sukhumi, it is common to dial only the 6-digit subscriber number when calling within the same area code. However, for clarity and to avoid misdialing, it is recommended to always use the full national format, especially when calling from mobile phones or VoIP services. For international callers, it is essential to use the correct country code and to drop the trunk prefix '0'. Additionally, be aware that calls to this region may be subject to different tariffs or routing restrictions depending on the service provider, particularly for calls originating from outside Georgia.