+9, 11 digit new mobile phone number from January
9 adding to all mobile phone numbers from January...
DoT has amended the National Numbering Plan 2003 for migration to an 11-digit numbering plan in mobile services by prefixing the number ‘9’ to the existing two-digit PLMN Access Code. More than 480 million subscribers of mobile telephony services will have 11-digit number from January 1 2010. The subscribers will have to prefix 9 to the existing 10-digit number. For example, a number 9xxxxxxxxx will become 99xxxxxxxxx. The Department of telecommunications (DoT) issued a notice to all telecom service providers on Tuesday, informing the change in the plan. The change in numbering system is due to increase in the number of subscribers. This is also due to increase in the number of service providers. This is not the first time phone numbers will be modified. A few years ago, the government had prefixed the number ‘2’ to all BSNL and MTNL fixed-line land phones across the country to accommodate more connections.
