ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

ITU prefix

Okay, so let's say you want to send a message from your phone to your friend's phone. But your friend's phone is in a different country, so you need to add some extra numbers to the phone number to make sure the message goes to the right place. This is where the ITU prefix comes in!

The ITU prefix is like a code that tells the phone company where to send your message. It's made up of three numbers that go at the beginning of the phone number you're calling. These numbers are different for every country, so you need to know the right ITU prefix for the country you're calling.

For example, if you want to send a message to your friend in Australia, you need to put the ITU prefix for Australia at the beginning of their phone number. The ITU prefix for Australia is +61. So you would dial +61 (this is the ITU prefix) followed by your friend's phone number to send them a message.

So, the ITU prefix is like a secret code that helps your message get to the right person, even when they're in a different country. It's important to know the right ITU prefix for the country you're calling, otherwise your message might not get delivered!