Opponents of Alberta independence often portray the transition as a total technological reset, right down to Albertans losing their phone numbers.

There is no technical reason that would have to happen.

Alberta’s existing 403, 587, 780, 825 and 368 area codes are part of the North American Numbering Plan, a shared telephone system covering Canada, the United States and several sovereign Caribbean countries. Participation is clearly not limited to Canadian provinces or even to one country.

That means an independent Alberta could negotiate its continued participation while keeping the +1 country code and its existing area codes. Phone numbers would not suddenly become unusable because Alberta’s constitutional status changed.

The cellphone towers, fibre networks and other telecommunications infrastructure would also remain where they are. Those networks are largely operated by private telecommunications companies already serving Albertans.

What would change is government oversight. The CRTC currently administers Canadian telephone numbers and coordinates with the North American Numbering Plan Administrator. Ottawa’s Innovation, Science and Economic Development department is responsible for managing wireless spectrum and issuing spectrum licences.

An independent Alberta would therefore need a telecommunications regulator, a spectrum-management system and agreements covering numbering, roaming and cross-border connectivity. Those are regulatory tasks, not reasons to replace every SIM card or disconnect existing service.

Continued use of the same numbers would have to be secured through negotiations, but the North American system already accommodates multiple independent countries. Alberta would hardly be asking the telephone network to perform an unprecedented technological miracle.