Mobile boom leads to numbering problem NEW DELHI: With the 10-digit mobile numbers on the brink of getting
exhausted as 1.5-crore-odd mobile subscribers are being added every
month, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has begun the process
of finding a long-term solution to this complex issue. And it might
include 11-digit mobile number to ensure unhindered growth of mobile
penetration.
The regulator has written to all operators seeking suggestions on
how to deal with issues and find out long-term suitability of numbering
plan, effective utilisation of numbers, and allocation and pricing of
the numbers. TRAI, in its recent consultation paper on “Efficient
utilisation of number resources,” has said it would discuss various
recourses available for rationalising the plan to meet numbering
requirements of the next five years and also for longer term.
“The stakeholders have been requested to comment on the
possibilities of retaining 10-digit numbering scheme or migrating to
11-digit scheme as also on integrated scheme for fixed and mobile
telephones. The issue of pricing of the numbers as a tool for
encouraging efficient utilisation of numbering resources has also been
raised,” it said.
The DoT allowed the use of mobile numbers beginning with ‘8’ after
the entire ‘9’ got exhausted besides doing away with ‘95’ STD dialling
to make more mobile numbers available to operators. |