Area code 246

13°10′12″N 59°33′09″W / 13.17000°N 59.55250°W / 13.17000; -59.55250 Area code 246 is the telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for Barbados. The sequence 246 spells BIM on an alpha-numeric telephone keypad, a nickname for the island. Telecommunication services and telephone numbers in Barbados are administered by the Ministry of Finance, Investment, Telecommunications and Energy (MFIE) of the Government of Barbados. As a member of the North American Numbering Plan, Barbados uses telephone country code 1 for inbound routing of international calls. The telephone number format consists of the three-digit area code, the three-digit central office prefix and the local four-digit line or station number. Dialing procedures within the country and abroad conform to NANP standards. Thus, Barbados telephone numbers are quoted per International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Recommendation E.123 in the style +1 246 NXX-XXXX for international use. In 1958, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) assigned area code 809 for use by all affiliated telephone administrations in Bermuda and the Caribbean islands. Between 1995 and 1999, the numbering plan area was divided, and new area codes were assigned to individual administrations. Area code 246 was assigned to Barbados in 1995.