Area Code 913 – Tabasco

Overview of Area Code 913 (Tabasco, Mexico)

Area code 913 is a geographic numbering plan area (NPA) within the Mexican national numbering resource, administered under the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) and regulated by the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT). It serves the state of Tabasco, located in the southeastern region of Mexico, and is designated as a National Destination Code (NDC) for fixed-line (PSTN) services. The code covers the municipalities of Centro (including the state capital, Villahermosa), Cunduacán, Jalpa de Méndez, Nacajuca, and other surrounding localities within the state's central-western zone.

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

Area code 913 is assigned to the state of Tabasco, with its primary urban center being Villahermosa, the capital and largest city. The code encompasses both urban and rural areas, providing local telephony services to residential, commercial, and government subscribers. The region is economically significant due to its oil and gas industry, as well as agricultural production, which influences the demand for reliable telecommunications infrastructure.

Dialing Formats and Caller Instructions

For local callers within the 913 area code, calls are made using the seven-digit local number only. For example, to call a fixed line in Villahermosa, one would dial 123-4567 (where 123-4567 is the subscriber number). For callers outside the 913 area code but within Mexico, the national long-distance format is required: dial 01 913 123-4567. The leading '01' is the national long-distance prefix. For international callers, the format is +52 913 123-4567, where +52 is Mexico's country calling code. It is important to note that the area code is part of the E.164 international numbering plan, and the plus sign indicates the international access prefix (e.g., 00 from most countries).

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

As of the latest IFT updates, area code 913 does not have an overlay code; it is the sole NDC for the geographic region it serves. However, the IFT periodically reviews numbering resources to ensure sufficient capacity. Subscribers in the 913 area may be subject to number portability, allowing them to retain their numbers when switching between fixed-line service providers. This does not affect the geographic nature of the code; the number remains associated with the Tabasco region for routing purposes.

Technical and Regulatory Notes

Area code 913 is exclusively for fixed-line services; mobile numbers in Tabasco use the non-geographic mobile prefixes (e.g., 993 for the Villahermosa mobile area, but mobile numbers are not tied to geographic areas). The allocation of geographic codes follows the ITU-T E.164 recommendation, and Mexico's national numbering plan is managed by the IFT. For enterprises, using a 913 number can establish a local presence in Tabasco, which is beneficial for customer trust and local marketing. When dialing from abroad, it is essential to omit the leading '0' of the national prefix and use the international format starting with +52.