Mobile boom leads to numbering problem Special Correspondent
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. C Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu cheers raghu __._,_.___ To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
