Will Your 10-Digit Mobile Number Expire? TRAI Gives Clarification On 11-Digit Phone Numbers!

On Sunday, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) rejected the recommendation of an 11-digit numbering scheme for mobile phones. 

Why Would They Suggest This?

Prior to this, several media reports had surfaced, stating that TRAI had suggested extending the 10-digit numbering scheme to 11. 

Also, there was a demand to put “0” before calling the mobile number from the landline. 

Further, the Telecom regulator Trai said it has not recommended 11 digit mobile numbers but only suggested prefixing ‘0’ when mobile numbers are called from landlines.

Basically, the recommendation on prefixing ‘0’ for calls from fixed line to mobile numbers will generate 2,544 million additional numbering resources for mobile services to cater to the future requirements, it said.

According to the Trai recommendation, the country will continue to follow a 10-digit numbering for mobile services, and the regulator has “categorically rejected” shifting to an 11-digit mobile numbering plan.

Confirming the same, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said in a statement “Trai has not recommended an 11-digit numbering scheme for mobile services,”.

What Does TRAI Suggest?

Although Trai has recommended a dialling prefix ‘0’ while making a call from a fixed-line number to a mobile number, the statement said.

While introduction of a dialling prefix for a particular type of call “is not akin to increasing the number of digits in the telephone number”.

It added, “This change in dialling pattern will generate 2,544 million additional numbering resources for mobile services to cater to the future requirements,”.

On Friday, the regulator had said that migration to a unified or single numbering scheme for fixed-line and mobile services is not required for now and that sufficient numbering space can be created by various methods, including prefixing ‘0’ for all fixed to mobile calls.

While releasing its recommendations on “ensuring adequate numbering resources for fixed-line and mobile services”, Trai had felt that there needs to be no change in dialling plan for fixed-to-fixed, mobile-to-fixed, and mobile-to-mobile calls.

Moreover, it has also recommended that a revised and new National Numbering Plan (NNP) should be issued at the earliest and has made suggestions on ways to free up unutilised capacities, to create space for mobiles services.

Why Would This Happen?

Most of the operators had opposed 11-digit numbering for mobile numbers, during the course of the consultation.

Further, they argued that an 11-digit numbering scheme would incur massive configuration modifications including software and hardware, involve an additional cost for the players, and cause confusion and inconvenience to the customers.

The regulator had explained in its recommendations saying “The authority is of the opinion that some serious problems are anticipated with the change in the mobile number from 10 digits to 11 digits. This would require widespread modifications in the configuration of switches involving cost”.

He added, “This would also cause inconvenience to the customers in the form of dialling extra digits and updating phone memory. This could lead to more dialling errors, in fructuous traffic, and loss of revenue to the operator,”.