What is universal call blocking?

Universal call blocking refers to blocking calls that do not conform to the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) or the international public telecommunication numbering plan (E.164). 

As a result of a CRTC initiative, starting November 2019, calls from numbers that do not conform to either numbering plan may be blocked from going through. Most Canadian carriers will be implementing universal call blocking for suspected nuisance calls. This initiative was mandated by the CRTC because many calls with non-conforming numbers are nuisance calls (including attempted fraud).

Universal call blocking impacts customers who receive calls from non-conforming calling numbers. A non-conforming calling number is one that:

• Exceeds 15 digits 
• Is altered and does not conform to a dialable number for calls initiated under the North American Numbering Plan or the international numbering plan.

Good to know: Calls to 911 will not be blocked regardless of the calling number.

For further details on the universal call blocking policy, please refer to the CRTC website.