Updated: 11-digit Mobile Numbers By 2010 - '9’ to be prefixed to all existing numbers

[Sadikk 301]

DNAindia.com

Tuesday, April 15, 2008 03:43 IST

By the end of next year, one will have to dial 11 digits, instead of the current 10, to connect to mobile phone users across the country. And, `99’ will be the first two digits in every mobile number, in the 11-digit regime.

There won’t be any change in fixed line phone numbers. The Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC), which is the technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has finalised the report on national numbering plan, sources in the government told DNA Money. It is learnt that TEC submitted the national numbering plan report to DoT last week.

TEC has recommended a timeframe of six to nine months, for converting the existing 10-digit mobile numbers to the 11-digit format. The shift to 11-digit number will apply to all mobile users-GSM (global systems for mobile communications) and CDMA (code division multiple access), old and new subscribers.

According to the latest recommendation of TEC, the new telecom operators will be allotted the spare levels of 90 and 91 in the 10-digit series. But, they too will have to migrate to 11 digits, by prefixing `9’, in the same timeframe as the existing telcos.

The TEC recommendation adds that the numbering plan for fixed line phones will remain the same.

In 2003, DoT had come out with a 30-year numbering plan, but five years down the line there’s a need for review. This time, DoT wants to ensure that the solution is for a much longer term, it is learnt. Mobile telephony has been witnessing tremendous growth and new telcos have also queued up to offer wireless services.

Currently, India has around 260 million wireless subscribers, and the total telecom base (fixed and mobile) has crossed 300 million.

The teledensity in the country is more than 25 per cent now, with the average monthly mobile growth at over 8 million. The government has set a target of 500 million phone subscribers by the year 2010.

Nine mobile operators were recently given over 120 telecom licences to offer services across many circles. Currently, the established players offering mobile phone services include Bharti, Reliance Communications, Vodafone Essar, Idea Cellular, Tata Teleservices, Aircel-Maxis, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) and Spice.

In India, the first national numbering plan was announced in 1993, when mobile telephony was yet to begin in India. In 2003, a fresh plan came about, but at that point the government failed to realise that India would witness a growth rate of 8 million mobile subscribers every month.

India is not the only country where mobile numbers would be changed because of the growth story and new operators joining in.

China and the UK are among others to have done it too. The US is believed to have handled things much better because it follows an integrated numbering plan-for fixed and mobile phones.

[carbinem4 2]

i guess they have no other option ,with the speed the number of mobile users have increased in the past few years ..this is bound to happen

[ani_meher 42]

Then vodafone customers will have 999 series! guys, start looking for matching numbers

[Greatest 55]

good information... sadikbhai is great!!

[situ1962 21]

But if only a 9 is prefixed to the existing numbers and by keeping the 10 digits the same,how can new numbers be integrated?unless the second 9,the existing one,is started from zero how new numbers can be accomodated is beyond me'techies please elaborate.

[vishalsheth 19]

I hope they work on system looking at double the subscriber growth. If they plan accordinly then things would be better. How would MNP work?

[KumaarShah 143]

So RCOM users will not get 999 or 9999 or 99999 etc. We will have to remain content with 993 only.

[Dj 25]

not again !!! just when you thought you were getting into a comfort zone of your cell numbers not changing and also with number portability... this now

[@ksh@T 20]

man its a trouble that numbers keep on changing . . it wd be third time that reliance users number wd change

[srk006 21]

But if only a 9 is prefixed to the existing numbers and by keeping the 10 digits the same,how can new numbers be integrated?unless the second 9,the existing one,is started from zero how new numbers can be accomodated is beyond me'techies please elaborate.

I was also thinking of the same thing. Anybody please explain..

[raccoon 53]

Well, since numbers are gonna change anyway (at least somewhat), some people here might want to take this opportinity to dump the RIM connections...

[Dj 25]

^^^

i know... had they been changing completely or drastically i would have jumped right out of it... but since its gonna be pan india and universal, its almost like the addition of a preceeding 2 to the landline numbers... can be dealt with as is i think

suggestion pretty lucrative man

[spknair 1]

man its a trouble that numbers keep on changing . . it wd be third time that reliance users number wd change

Third !?

In my case it will be fourth time !

First : 04953****** (all out going calls were free except STD & ISD)

Second : 04833****** (when they officially launched in our SDCA)

Third : 09388203670 (as per Trai)

Fourth : 99388203670 !

Edited April 16, 2008 by spknair

[Dj 25]

^^^

not to forget other landline numbers one owns too

[ravi_patent 28]

GSM Operators Oppose 11-digit Numbering

http://www.business-standard.com/india/new...mbering/357004/

GSM mobile service providers are opposing an 11-digit mobile numbering proposal on grounds that it would inconvenience the country’s 390 million subscribers. They are also seeking to end the exclusive two-digit operator code provided to three service providers.

The Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) Technical Engineering Centre has recommended the new numbering plan, expecting the industry to run out of mobile numbers since the subscriber base has been expanding by 10 million users every month.

DoT, which forwarded the recommendations to the government, expects the 11-digit plan to bring in more users.

“There is no need to change the numbering structure because the current plan is not utilised properly and is lopsided,” Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI) Director General T V Ramachandran told Business Standard.

“This will cause massive disruptions to existing mobile users and operators, since all roaming agreements have to be re-aligned and all equipment modified,” he added. COAI will voice its opinion to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).

DoT has also allocated exclusive two-digit operator codes to three operators — “92” for Tata Tele, “93” for Reliance Communications and “94” for BSNL — whereas all other operators have a common code “98”.

COAI thinks the exclusivity provided to these three operators should be withdrawn, since this is blocking proper capacity utilisation of the “9” series. The association also contends that exclusivity is redundant, since number portability — the ability of consumers to change operators but retain their numbers — will render it useless anyway.

Another issue behind the dearth of numbers is that DoT has reserved six billion numbers for fixed-lines, whereas the actual number of subscribers is below 40 million.

[pasumark 51]

I think China is having only 10 digits ( Correct me if I am wrong), then why does India need 11 digits?

Why cannot mobile numbers be allowed to start with 8, 7 , 5,4 and 1?

This seems to be an unwanted step and unwanted confusions. Lets wait and see

[Greatest 55]

^^^ china has 11 digits...

[ravi_patent 28]

@ganesan

you are correct reg other 10 digit numbers starting wt 8,7,5 .

but it appears to me that the reason stated for moving to 11 digits is that"all equipment modified" by gsm lobby is incorrect.what is needed programming rather than hardware change.GSM lobby may have their own hidden agenda

[me_saket 73]

I think China is having only 10 digits ( Correct me if I am wrong), then why does India need 11 digits?

Why cannot mobile numbers be allowed to start with 8, 7 , 5,4 and 1?

This seems to be an unwanted step and unwanted confusions. Lets wait and see

china and UK having 11 digit number.

all u have think is from point of view of landline.

2-bsnl

3reliance

4-airtel

5-other operator like shyam

6-tata

7-empty

8-empty

9-mobile

1-spericl numbe like 100 etc

so 7, and 8 could be possible.

but why telco are opposing, if is not now, then upgradation has to be done later in future.

[supernova 47]

till the time 10 dogits series are fully used why opting for 11 ? it will surely create confusin and problem and moreover more difficulty in remembering nos

[manishag 17]

no i don't think so it'll create the problem. all they have to inform that just append some digit say 8 in all the existing mobile nos. so there will not be any confusion.

i think they are opposing the move because Biggies like Bharti/Voda/Idea have blocked lots of nos with them by fake activations. so new operators will face problems while launching the services. This is a indirect way to restrict the new operators

[KumaarShah 143]

As it is, the numbers are so confusing for most of the people. Why add more confusion and make it 11 digit? Instead the 7 and 8 series can last us for atleast 5 years, maybe more also. Probably the 5 series can also be vacated from Shyam or whatever and allotted to mobiles. The present 9 series has lasted us for more than a decade now. Considering the explosive growth of mobiles recently, maybe the 7,8 and if possible 5 series will last us atleast 5 years or even more.After that some other solution can be worked out.

[Harshal 11]

I am not sure what 1, 4, 5, 7 and 8 series you guys are talking about. These are all valid STD codes.

011-2xxxxxxx is MTNL LL. 080-3xxxxxxx is Reliance LL. 044-6xxxxxxx would be Tata LL.

So it the the first digit after the 0 that should be unique. 09x-xxxxxxxx.

093-xxxxxxxx is Reliance CDMA. 094-xxxxxxxx - BSNL CDMA. 092-xxxxxxxx Tata CDMA. 098/090/099 xxxxxxxx is GSM mobile.

So unless CDMA numbers are opened up for other use there may be very less room for expansion going by current rate.

[kshah 452]

GSM guys has habit to oppose each and every move. whether necessary, good or bad.

[manishag 17]

right now they are saying that there is huge cost involve in introducing the 11 digit. yes i agree there will be huge cost if they prepend the 11th digit in the staring of the existing no. in case they append the no at the end it will not cost a lot. but there many premium nos no longer be premium in that case.

once no potability will be there they will not be able to complain about the 11digit no system. and i feel that 11 digit no will take atleast 2 years from now