Area Code 266 – New Hope/Friendship/Grove/Land of Canaan

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

The area code 266 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) assigned to the East Bank Demerara region of Guyana, specifically serving the communities of New Hope, Friendship, Grove, and Land of Canaan. These localities fall under the administrative jurisdiction of Region 4 (Demerara-Mahaica), which encompasses the national capital Georgetown and its expanding suburban and peri-urban zones. The code is allocated to fixed-line PSTN services, although some last-mile connections may utilize wireless local loop (WLL) technology.

Primary Cities and Localities Served

The 266 prefix covers a contiguous corridor along the East Bank of the Demerara River, approximately 10 to 15 kilometers south of Georgetown. Key settlements include:

• New Hope – a residential and light-commercial area.
• Friendship – known for its mixed residential and agricultural activity.
• Grove – a developing hub with schools and community facilities.
• Land of Canaan – a rapidly growing residential district.

These communities are part of the Georgetown metropolitan area's expansion zone, and the prefix is essential for local businesses, government services, and households.

Dialing Formats and Caller Instructions

For callers within Guyana, the national format requires dialing the trunk prefix 0 followed by the area code and subscriber number: 0-266-XXXX. For example, a local call to a fixed line in Grove would be dialed as 0-266-XXXX.

For international callers, the full E.164 format is used: the Guyana country code +592, followed by the area code without the leading trunk prefix, and the subscriber number. For instance, to reach a number in New Hope, dial +592-266-XXXX.

It is important to note that Guyana operates a single national dialing plan without separate trunk prefixes for different regions; the '0' is used only for domestic long-distance calls. When dialing from a mobile phone within Guyana, the same national format applies.

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

As of the latest ITU-T E.164 national numbering plan, Guyana has not implemented overlay codes for geographic areas. The 266 prefix remains exclusively assigned to the East Bank Demerara region. Subscriber numbers under this prefix typically consist of four digits (XXXX), resulting in a total national significant number length of seven digits (excluding the trunk prefix).

Callers should verify the complete subscriber number, as numbers within this prefix are not portable to other geographic areas under current regulations, though fixed-to-mobile portability may be available in limited cases.