CallataGuidesGet a local business phone number in Mobile, AL
Mobile's area code, prefixes and carriers from NANPA records, and how to put a Mobile number in front of your customers.
- Area code
- 251
- Exchanges
- 233NANPA-assigned
- Carriers
- 38
- Population
- 201,367Census 2024 est.
Mobile area codes
Mobile, in Mobile County, Alabama, had a Census-estimated population of 201,367 in July 2024. All 233 exchanges NANPA lists for its rate center are in area code 251. Mobile is in the Central time zone.
According to NANPA's dialing-plan data, local calls within 251 are dialed as ten digits (area code plus number) and toll calls as 1 plus ten digits.
| Area code | Exchanges here | Share | In service since | Overlay with | Time zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 251 | 233 | 100% | 2001 | none | Central |
Source: NANPA utilized central office code file and NPA report, dated 10/01/2026.
Phone carriers in Mobile
38 carriers hold the 233 exchanges assigned to Mobile's rate center. Bellsouth Telecomm INC d/b/a South Central Bell Tel has the most, with 71. 155 of them are pooled codes, which the holder shares with other carriers in blocks of 1,000 numbers. The table counts codes by the operating company NANPA assigned them to, not by who serves each number today.
| Carrier (NANPA operating company) | Exchanges | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Bellsouth Telecomm INC d/b/a South Central Bell Tel | 71 | 30% |
| New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC - Ga | 39 | 17% |
| Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless - Al | 21 | 9.0% |
| Onvoy, LLC - Al | 14 | 6.0% |
| Eliska Wireless Ventures Subsidiary I, LLC | 13 | 5.6% |
| Paetec Itel, LLC | 8 | 3.4% |
| Level 3 Communications, LLC - Al | 7 | 3.0% |
| Telepak Networks, INC. - Al | 7 | 3.0% |
| Metropcs, INC. | 7 | 3.0% |
| Spok, INC. | 6 | 2.6% |
| Fractel, LLC | 3 | 1.3% |
| Mcimetro Access Transmission Services LLC | 2 | 0.86% |
Carrier names are the operating company (OCN) names on NANPA's utilized central office code file dated 10/01/2026. A carrier holding a code may port numbers to other carriers.
Exchanges (NPA-NXX) assigned in Mobile
Each prefix below is a block of up to 10,000 numbers that NANPA assigned to Mobile's rate center (MOBILE). The earliest assignment date recorded in the file for these codes is 2001. 49 of the 233 were assigned in 2020 or later.
| Area code | Prefixes (NXX) |
|---|---|
| 251 | 205, 206, 208, 209, 214, 217, 219, 220, 221, 222, 232, 234, 243, 252, 259, 263, 264, 266, 272, 277, 281, 283, 285, 287, 288, 289, 295, 298, 300, 301, 303, 304, 305, 307, 308, 316, 318, 319, 323, 326, 327, 328, 329, 330, 331, 332, 333, 338, 340, 341, 342, 343, 344, 345, 348, 349, 352, 355, 358, 361, 366, 367, 370, 371, 373, 374, 375, 376, 377, 378, 379, 380, 381, 382, 384, 385, 386, 391, 394, 395, 396, 398, 401, 402, 404, 405, 406, 408, 410, 414, 415, 417, 421, 422, 423, 425, 426, 431, 432, 433, 434, 435, 436, 438, 439, 441, 442, 443, 444, 445, 447, 450, 452, 454, 455, 456, 457, 458, 459, 460, 461, 463, 465, 468, 469, 470, 471, 472, 473, 476, 477, 478, 479, 481, 485, 486, 487, 489, 490, 497, 499, 501, 503, 507, 508, 509, 510, 513, 516, 518, 520, 524, 525, 526, 527, 528, 529, 533, 534, 541, 544, 545, 554, 568, 574, 581, 582, 583, 586, 587, 588, 591, 599, 602, 604, 605, 607, 610, 617, 620, 621, 622, 623, 625, 626, 631, 633, 634, 635, 638, 639, 643, 644, 645, 648, 649, 650, 652, 653, 654, 656, 660, 661, 662, 665, 666, 675, 679, 680, 689, 690, 694, 706, 709, 721, 724, 725, 751, 753, 767, 770, 776, 786, 799, 800, 802, 888, 895, 901, 910, 930, 998, 999 |
Source: NANPA utilized central office code file.
When Mobile's exchanges were assigned
Assignment dates show when each block of Mobile numbers was added to the local supply.
| Decade assigned | Exchanges | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 32 | 30% |
| 2010s | 24 | 23% |
| 2020s | 49 | 47% |
Assignment dates as recorded in NANPA's utilized code file; codes without a recorded date are excluded.
What makes a number local to Mobile
What a caller sees as "local" is the area code plus prefix. In Mobile, those come from the MOBILE rate center, as recorded by NANPA.
New local numbers are drawn from carrier inventory, so the exact 251 numbers available change over time; porting an existing number is free.
Businesses around Mobile
Mobile is part of the Mobile, AL metro area, home to 412,000 people in 2024. County Business Patterns counted 8,960 business establishments in the Mobile, AL metro area in 2023, employing 157,810 people. The largest sectors by establishment count are retail trade (1,468), other services (except public administration) (960), and health care and social assistance (863).
| Industry | Establishments | Employees | Employees per establishment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limited-service restaurants | 348 | 7,148 | 20.5 |
| Law offices | 212 | 1,248 | 5.9 |
| Full-service restaurants | 205 | 5,138 | 25.1 |
| Physician practices | 174 | 4,541 | 26.1 |
| Insurance agencies and brokerages | 146 | 756 | 5.2 |
| Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors | 135 | 1,741 | 12.9 |
| Offices of real estate agents and brokers | 132 | 327 | 2.5 |
| Dental offices | 104 | 899 | 8.6 |
Selected small-business industries (six-digit NAICS) covered by these guides. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.
Business phone service in Mobile
Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.
If you already have a number in Mobile, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.
Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.
The comparison below uses 18 users, the rounded average establishment size in the Mobile, AL metro area. At list prices checked September 28, 2026, that is $449.10 a month on Ooma Office Pro and $540.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core. On Callata the same 18 people cost $359.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.
| Provider (plan) | Pricing basis | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callata (Callata Office) | $99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user | $359.00 | $4,308.00 |
| Quo (Starter) | $19.00 per user | $342.00 | $4,104.00 |
| Nextiva (Core) | $23.00 per user | $414.00 | $4,968.00 |
| Ooma (Office Pro) | $24.95 per user | $449.10 | $5,389.20 |
| Dialpad (Standard) | $27.00 per user | $486.00 | $5,832.00 |
| RingCentral (RingEX Core) | $30.00 per user | $540.00 | $6,480.00 |
Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.
Frequently asked questions
What area code is Mobile, AL?
251. All exchanges NANPA lists for Mobile are in 251.
How many phone companies have exchanges in Mobile?
38, holding 233 exchanges between them, according to NANPA's 10/01/2026 file.
Can I keep my existing Mobile business number?
Yes. Porting an existing number to Callata is free. Texting from it starts after carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee.
How much is a business phone line in Mobile?
Callata is $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user, with up to 3 local numbers; 18 users come to $359.00 a month. For comparison, 18 users on RingCentral RingEX Core list at $540.00 a month (checked September 28, 2026).