Consider 11-digit mobile numbers for new series: AUSPI

CDMA operators association AUSPI has asked the Government to consider introduction of 11- digit numbering scheme for mobile operators to take care of the crunch of numbers due to the growing list of users.

"11 digit numbering scheme is imminent to meet long term requirement of mobile services and new services like PSTN connected internet telephony," it said in a letter to Telecom Secretary P J Thomas.

It said 11-digit numbering scheme would cause minimum disturbance for subscribers through pre-fixing '9' on all existing mobile numbers.

"The shift would provide innumerable new numbers which would be sufficient to meet the numbering resources requirement for all time to come besides it has low cost implication and short time line for implementation," Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India (AUSPI) said.

National Numbering Plan, 2003 which was formulated with a projected forecast of about 50 per cent tele-density by the year 2030 has not met the numbering requirement.

To address the immediate problem of mobile numbers, the government as national numbering administrator had taken certain decisions like use of level '8' and '95' for mobile number.

AUSPI said if the Government starts looking for alternative levels like 7 to meet the mobile number demand for the next 3 to 4 years, it should drop that proposal as level '7' is disruptive and likely to cause more inconvenience for consumers.