Area Code 0862 – L'Aquila

Overview of Area Code 0862

Area code 0862 is a geographic telephone code within the Italian national numbering plan, assigned to the province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region. It follows the ITU-T E.164 standard, with the full international dialing format +39 0862 XXX XXX. The code covers the city of L'Aquila and its surrounding municipalities, including but not limited to: Paganica, Bazzano, Coppito, and Collebrincioni. As a geographic code, it is tied to a specific administrative area, and the numbering is used for both fixed-line PSTN and VoIP services registered to that locality.

Dialing Formats

When calling from within Italy, the national trunk prefix 0 is used before the area code, resulting in the format 0862 XXX XXX. For international callers, the Italian country code +39 is dialed, followed by the area code 0862 and the subscriber number, yielding +39 0862 XXX XXX. Note that Italian fixed-line numbers are typically 6 to 10 digits long, but with the area code included, the total number of digits (excluding the leading 0) is 9 to 10. For example, a local number in L'Aquila might be 0862 123456 (national) or +39 0862 123456 (international).

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

The 0862 area code is administered by the Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni (AGCOM) and is allocated to the province of L'Aquila. It is one of several area codes in Abruzzo; neighboring codes include 0861 (Teramo), 0863 (Avezzano), and 0864 (Sulmona). The region is characterized by its mountainous terrain and includes the Gran Sasso National Park. The code serves both urban and rural communities, with L'Aquila being the regional capital. In 2009, the city was struck by a major earthquake, and since then, some reconstruction and renumbering have occurred, but the area code remains unchanged.

Caller Instructions

• Local callers within the 0862 area can dial the subscriber number directly without the area code, but this is uncommon in Italy; typically, the full national number is dialed even for local calls.
• National callers from outside the area must dial 0 followed by 862 and the subscriber number (e.g., 0 862 123456).
• International callers should dial their country's exit code (e.g., 011 from the US/Canada, 00 from most European countries), then 39, then 0862, and the subscriber number (e.g., 011 39 0862 123456).

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

As of the latest updates, there is no overlay code for 0862; the area code is unique to the province. However, due to the introduction of VoIP and number portability, subscribers may retain their 0862 numbers even if they move outside the geographic area, provided the service is registered to the original location. This is a general trend across Italy, where geographic numbers are no longer strictly tied to physical location for VoIP services.

For businesses, having a local 0862 number can enhance trust and local presence. For callers, it is important to note that calls to Italian landlines may be charged differently depending on the operator and the caller's plan. Always verify the full number before dialing, as Italian numbers can be misdialed if the area code is omitted.