Callers will soon be required to add '0' prefix for making calls from landlines to mobile phones in the nation, with the telecom department asking telcos to make essential arrangements by January 1,2021 to tool the new system.
The Department of Telecom (DoT) in a circular on modification of dialling pattern from fixed line numbers to cellular mobile numbers said in order to ensure adequate numbering resources for fixed line and mobile services, TRAI’s recommendations dated May 29, 2020 have been accepted by the Department. Following may be implemented...Fixed-to-mobile calls shall be dialled with prefix '0'.
DoT said in a circular said, “Suitable announcement may be fed in the fixed line switches to apprise the fixed line subscribers about the requirement of dialling the prefix '0' for all fixed-to-mobile calls,". This declaration should be played whenever a subscriber dials a fixed-to-mobile call without prefixing '0', it said.
DoT said that time till January 1 is permissible to all the telecom service providers to implement this new system. The regulator had, however, said that the introduction of a dialling prefix for a particular type of call is not akin to increasing the number of digits in the number.
TRAI had then also stated that this change in dialling pattern will produce 2,544 million extra numbering resources for mobile services to provide the future requirements.
At present, mobile phones can be accessed from a fixed line phone without dialling a prefix 0. Meanwhile, India already has over 1.2 billion telephone numbers, with a tele-density of over 87.47 per cent. The number of fixed and mobile subscribers in the country is also rising rapidly.
