01846

The Lisburn telephone exchange code refers to the former 01846 area code, which until the 2000 Big Number Change, served Lisburn, Aghalee, Moira, Hillsborough, Dromore, Maze, Stoneyford and Baillies Mills, all of which are in Northern Ireland, a constituent part of the United Kingdom. This area gained 92 and changed to eight digit numbers, under the new 028 area code.

Before STD (Subscriber Trunk Dialling) codes were introduced in Northern Ireland, during the 1960s and 1970s, an operator based system was in operation. Each subscriber had short (usually 3 or 4 digit) number within the local exchange. For example, the post office in Dromore was Dromore 201.

When STD was introduced to the area in the early 1970s, the local towns and villages around Lisburn all scrapped their three digit numbers (with the exception of Stoneyford) and added an extra three digits. These towns used 0846 + six digits.

Dialling a number any of the aforementioned exchanges, from another area code was achieved by simply using (0846) xxxxxx.

However Lisburn, which already had four and five digit numbers, used the code 084 62.

To call Lisburn 2201/Lisburn 77712 from another area code (outside 0846), one dialled (084 62) 2201/(084 62) 77712.

In 1989, numbers in Lisburn town were adjusted to bring them into line with the surrounding area.

This meant that Lisburn town could use the 0846 code.

In 1993, many changes were made throughout the country in preparation for phONE day in 1995. Many of the changes were eliminating 3-digit and 4-digit subscriber numbers in rural exchanges.

The only exchange affected in the 0846 area was Stoneyford. It had 3 and 4 digit numbers and used the area code 084 664.

Thus, Stoneyford became 0846.

"PhONEday", on 16 April 1995 meant the addition of the number '1' to every area code in the United Kingdom. 0846 therefore became 01846. The subscriber numbers were unchanged.

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Wikipedia