GSM mobile service providers are opposing an 11-digit mobile numbering proposal on grounds that it would inconvenience the country’s 390 million subscribers. They are also seeking to end the exclusive two-digit operator code provided to three service providers.
The Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) Technical Engineering Centre has recommended the new numbering plan, expecting the industry to run out of mobile numbers since the subscriber base has been expanding by 10 million users every month.
DoT, which forwarded the recommendations to the government, expects the 11-digit plan to bring in more users.
“There is no need to change the numbering structure because the current plan is not utilised properly and is lopsided,” Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI) Director General T V Ramachandran told Business Standard.
“This will cause massive disruptions to existing mobile users and operators, since all roaming agreements have to be re-aligned and all equipment modified,” he added. COAI will voice its opinion to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).
DoT has also allocated exclusive two-digit operator codes to three operators — “92” for Tata Tele, “93” for Reliance Communications and “94” for BSNL — whereas all other operators have a common code “98”.
COAI thinks the exclusivity provided to these three operators should be withdrawn, since this is blocking proper capacity utilisation of the “9” series. The association also contends that exclusivity is redundant, since number portability — the ability of consumers to change operators but retain their numbers — will render it useless anyway.
Another issue behind the dearth of numbers is that DoT has reserved six billion numbers for fixed-lines, whereas the actual number of subscribers is below 40 million.
Steps are taken to cause a massive chaos among the 390+ million mobile users. Please stop reseving 92,93 & 94 codes for the industry heavy weights. also, cancel numbers wich are unused for 6 months. You will get sufficiant numbers than required in next 5 years. For future use "8" for all CDMA numbers in the country. GSM Operators union is extremely unhapy with the move and so are the common people.
Well the Kettle is calling the pot black.
COAI:
Why does it take 45 days to register for DNC.
Why COAI has blocked internet telephony.
What you sow, you reap. Remember or you will learn that by experience.
I agree with COAI's objection for the following reasons in principle. But
my alternative suggestion is:- 11 digit numbering system should be adopted only when the total number requirement of the territory under the jurisdiction at the time under the authority of the then regulatory authority is going to exceed the capacity of the 10 digit scheme {[9,999,999,999 ( + 1, if numbers beginning with 0 are allowed as INDIVIDUAL CUSTOMER NUMBERS i.e 10 trillion (10 kharvas) -1 or not)]}. The reason is numbering requirement constantly increases with TIME anywhere in the world irrespective of the world human population. Since is time is ANANT (without end).
This means as of today it is never going to happen in case of India under regulatory jurisdiction of TRAI at present or even in the whole universe as constituted as per our present knowledge..
Content Guide
