With phone operators expected to run out of 10-digit mobile numbers soon, the Department of Telecom (DoT) is now considering an 11-digit numbering system.
“With so many telecom service providers and a growing customer base, the need for new numbers and their consequent shortage will be felt soon,” a senior telecom official told reporters on Saturday.
Senior DoT sources said that TEC recommendation for the new numbering plan had already been forwarded to the government for a final decision.
The telecom department had come up with a 30-year numbering plan in 2003 but the fast growth in the telecom subscriber base has forced the authority to relook into its policy and consider 11-digit numbering system.
“The infrastructure is ready and this should be implemented within two years,” one of the technical official said. Telecom operators said the new policy would not cause any technical problems.
The only two other countries to use 11-digit numbers are China, whose subscriber base of 624.16 million (as in January) is far ahead of India, and the UK, which uses it apparently for technical reasons as its subscriber base is much lower.
“The change, however, will be in the software only and it will not take more than a month to upgrade the changes,” the telecom official said.
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