Katherine: landline numbers and carriers

Katherine is one of the town-level numbering areas the ACMA register uses under area code 08 (SA, WA & NT). The register lists 33 number blocks for it with about 71,000 allocated numbers, held by 18 carriers and spread over the 0879… and 0889… dialling prefixes. That makes Katherine the 80th largest of 640 numbering areas under 08 by block count, with 0.25% of the area code's allocated numbers. A landline that calls you from one of these blocks was issued for the Katherine area — though the line may since have been ported, and caller ID can be spoofed.

Source: ACMA register, data as of 16/10/2026

33blocks in the register
18carriers with allocations
71,000allocated numbers
1991first allocation

Where Katherine is

State or territory
The Northern Territory
Council area
Katherine
Local time
— ACST, UTC+9:30, no daylight saving
Number format
08 79xx xxxx; from overseas +61 8 79xx xxxx
Nearest numbering areas
Pine Creek (81 km), Batchelor (201 km), Jabiru (207 km), Daly (Ext) (220 km), Noonamah (238 km)

Locality, council and state: ABS ASGS Edition 3 (CC BY 4.0). Distances are straight-line between localities.

Map of the Katherine numbering area in the Northern Territory and the nearest other numbering areas
Shaded: Katherine council area. The ACMA doesn't publish numbering-area boundaries, so the dot marks the Katherine locality rather than an exact outline; the inset shows where the map sits in Australia. Boundaries: ABS (CC BY 4.0).

How Katherine was numbered

The oldest block in Katherine was allocated on 30 June 1991 and is held today by TELSTRA LIMITED; the newest on 19 August 2026 to SYMBIO NETWORKS PTY LTD. Most of the area's blocks — 7 of 33 — date from 2020–2024, but allocations here span 35 years. 29 of the blocks are the standard 1,000-number size, and 1 is 10,000 numbers or larger. 6 allocated blocks have changed hands since they were first issued: the register still names AAPT LIMITED, ENGIN PTY LIMITED, GOTALK LIMITED, IPTEL PTY LIMITED, IVOX PTY LTD and TWILIO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD as original allocatees of blocks now held by other carriers.

PeriodBlocks allocated
1990–19944
2000–20043
2005–20096
2010–20145
2015–20194
2020–20247
2025–20294

The carriers in Katherine

TELSTRA LIMITED holds the largest share here with 57.7% of allocated numbers across 6 blocks; SYMBIO NETWORKS PTY LTD is second with 9.9%, and 16 other carriers hold the rest. TELSTRA LIMITED has the longest tenure, with a block dated 30/06/1991; SYMBIO NETWORKS PTY LTD received the newest, on 19/08/2026. SYMBIO NETWORKS PTY LTD (3), SOUL PATTINSON TELECOMMUNICATIONS PTY LIMITED (1) and PRIMUS TELECOMMUNICATIONS PTY LIMITED (1) hold blocks originally allocated to another carrier.

CarrierBlocksNumbersShareFirst blockLatest block
TELSTRA LIMITED641,00057.7%30/06/199119/05/2011
SYMBIO NETWORKS PTY LTD77,0009.9%17/08/200519/08/2026
SOUL PATTINSON TELECOMMUNICATIONS PTY LIMITED24,0005.6%30/03/200014/07/2016
PRIMUS TELECOMMUNICATIONS PTY LIMITED33,0004.2%24/12/200403/02/2012
NETSIP PTY LTD22,0002.8%14/02/201826/10/2021
OPTUS MOBILE PTY LIMITED12,0002.8%13/10/200713/10/2007
ADARGA PTY LTD11,0001.4%16/09/202516/09/2025
AGILE PTY LTD11,0001.4%29/03/200729/03/2007
C2A INTERNET.COM.AU PTY. LTD.11,0001.4%13/07/202313/07/2023
CHECK TECHNOLOGY GROUP PTY LTD11,0001.4%31/01/202231/01/2022
CHIME COMMUNICATIONS PTY LTD11,0001.4%14/07/200414/07/2004
LMGPS LTD11,0001.4%23/11/202323/11/2023
NETERA PTY LTD11,0001.4%24/10/202524/10/2025
OPTUS NETWORKS PTY LIMITED11,0001.4%15/06/200515/06/2005
PIPE NETWORKS PTY LIMITED11,0001.4%24/09/201224/09/2012
PIVOTEL SATELLITE PTY LIMITED11,0001.4%16/04/202516/04/2025
THE TRUSTEE FOR READING FAMILY TRUST11,0001.4%21/10/201921/10/2019
VIRTUTEL PTY LTD11,0001.4%20/12/201520/12/2015

Number blocks registered for Katherine

Every registered block for this area is allocated to a carrier. All 33 blocks, ascending:

Block startNumbersOriginal allocateeCurrent holderAllocatedTransferred
0879032000…1,000=PRIMUS TELECOMMUNICATIONS PTY LIMITED03/02/2012—
0879084000…1,000IVOX PTY LTDSYMBIO NETWORKS PTY LTD18/06/201217/06/2014
0879112000…1,000AAPT LIMITEDPIPE NETWORKS PTY LIMITED24/09/201224/03/2026
0879130000…1,000=SYMBIO NETWORKS PTY LTD24/04/2014—
0879162000…1,000=VIRTUTEL PTY LTD20/12/2015—
0879211000…1,000=SOUL PATTINSON TELECOMMUNICATIONS PTY LIMITED14/07/2016—
0879251000…1,000=NETSIP PTY LTD14/02/2018—
0879311000…1,000=ADARGA PTY LTD16/09/2025—
0879325000…1,000=THE TRUSTEE FOR READING FAMILY TRUST21/10/2019—
0879380000…1,000=SYMBIO NETWORKS PTY LTD19/06/2020—
0879387000…1,000=NETSIP PTY LTD26/10/2021—
0879440000…1,000=CHECK TECHNOLOGY GROUP PTY LTD31/01/2022—
0879482000…1,000TWILIO AUSTRALIA PTY LTDSYMBIO NETWORKS PTY LTD24/09/202015/10/2020
0879504000…1,000=C2A INTERNET.COM.AU PTY. LTD.13/07/2023—
0879534000…1,000=LMGPS LTD23/11/2023—
0879561000…1,000=PIVOTEL SATELLITE PTY LIMITED16/04/2025—
0879589000…1,000=NETERA PTY LTD24/10/2025—
0879619000…1,000=SYMBIO NETWORKS PTY LTD19/08/2026—
0879782000…1,000=TELSTRA LIMITED19/05/2011—
0889056000…3,000IPTEL PTY LIMITEDSOUL PATTINSON TELECOMMUNICATIONS PTY LIMITED30/03/200001/12/2004
0889124000…1,000ENGIN PTY LIMITEDPRIMUS TELECOMMUNICATIONS PTY LIMITED24/12/200411/08/2015
0889136000…1,000=SYMBIO NETWORKS PTY LTD25/09/2023—
0889186000…1,000=PRIMUS TELECOMMUNICATIONS PTY LIMITED06/06/2005—
0889348000…1,000=OPTUS NETWORKS PTY LIMITED15/06/2005—
0889636000…2,000=TELSTRA LIMITED30/06/1991—
0889651000…1,000=TELSTRA LIMITED31/07/2006—
0889662000…1,000=AGILE PTY LTD29/03/200722/11/2011
0889710000…35,000=TELSTRA LIMITED30/06/1991—
0889746000…1,000=TELSTRA LIMITED30/06/1991—
0889748000…1,000=TELSTRA LIMITED30/06/1991—
0889860000…1,000GOTALK LIMITEDSYMBIO NETWORKS PTY LTD17/08/200513/08/2013
0889920000…1,000=CHIME COMMUNICATIONS PTY LTD14/07/2004—
0889945000…2,000=OPTUS MOBILE PTY LIMITED13/10/2007—

Numbering areas next to Katherine in the register

Immediately below and above Katherine's blocks in the 0879… and 0889… prefixes sit Daly (Ext), Roper River (Ext), Noonamah, Batchelor, Ranken River (Ext), Jabiru, Simpson (Ext), Tennant Creek, Yulara, Victoria River (Ext), Arnhem (Ext) and Elliott (NT).

Numbering areaFirst blockBlocksCarriers
Daly (Ext)0879018000…3018
Roper River (Ext)0879023000…2817
Noonamah0879024000…3318
Batchelor0879025000…2918
Ranken River (Ext)0879026000…2717
Jabiru0879027000…3118
Simpson (Ext)0879035000…2717
Tennant Creek0879036000…3218
Yulara0879043000…3118
Victoria River (Ext)0879045000…2918
Arnhem (Ext)0879046000…3118
Elliott (NT)0879047000…2717

Had a call from a Katherine number?

No clear pattern in reports on these numbers yet. If a call worried you:

  1. Call back on a number you trust

    If a caller says they're your bank, the ATO, Services Australia, a courier or your telco, hang up and ring the organisation on the number from its website or your statement, never the number that called you. Caller ID can be faked.

  2. Report the call to Scamwatch

    The National Anti-Scam Centre uses Scamwatch reports to warn others and to get scam numbers blocked. Note the number, the time and what the caller claimed to be. If anyone is in danger, call 000.

    Report to Scamwatch ↗

  3. Register on the Do Not Call Register

    Registering landlines and mobiles is free and stops most telemarketing calls within 30 days. Charities, political parties, surveys and scammers aren't covered.

    Do Not Call Register ↗

  4. If you lost money or shared details

    Call your bank straight away on the number on your card and ask it to stop the payment. Then report it through ReportCyber, which passes cybercrime reports to the Northern Territory Police Force. If your identity documents or passwords were shared, IDCARE's free support service can help you lock things down.

    ReportCyber ↗IDCARE ↗

Nationally, Scamwatch recorded $72.5 million lost to scams that started with a phone call in 2025 (down from $107.2 million), with a median loss of $3,800 per report that lost money, and phone-call scam reports are 73.7% below their 2021 level. Telcos blocked 109.3 million scam calls and 45.2 million scam texts in January to March 2026. Sources: Targeting scams 2025 (National Anti-Scam Centre); ACMA quarterly report, Jan–Mar 2026.

Katherine numbers: questions and answers

Where is the Katherine numbering area?

Katherine is in the Northern Territory, in the Katherine council area. The nearest other numbering areas are Pine Creek (81 km), Batchelor (201 km) and Jabiru (207 km).

What area code does Katherine use?

Katherine numbers use area code 08. Its register blocks start with 08 79 and 08 89. From overseas, drop the 0 and dial +61 8 followed by the eight-digit local number.

What time zone is Katherine in?

Katherine is on Australian Central Time (ACST, UTC+9:30), with no daylight saving.

Which carriers hold Katherine phone numbers?

The ACMA register lists 18 carriers with allocated blocks in Katherine. By allocated numbers the largest are Telstra (57.7%), Symbio Networks (9.9%) and Soul Pattinson Telecommunications (5.6%). A number can since have been ported to another provider.

When were Katherine numbers first allocated?

The oldest block on record for Katherine was allocated on 30 June 1991 and is held by Telstra; the newest on 19 August 2026, to Symbio Networks.

How do I report a scam call from a Katherine number?

Report it to Scamwatch. If you lost money, call your bank first, then report it through ReportCyber, which passes it to the Northern Territory Police Force. Unwanted sales calls go to the Do Not Call Register's complaint form (1300 792 958).

Check a number from Katherine

Scammers spoof local landline numbers to look nearby. Guides: Australian area codes, how caller ID spoofing works.