Callers will soon be required to add the ‘0’ prefix for making calls from landlines to mobile phones in the country, with the telecom department asking telcos to make necessary arrangements by January 1 to implement the new system.

The department has accepted sectoral regulator Trai’s recommendation for having the ‘0’ prefix for such calls, a move that will create sufficient numbering space for telecom services.

The department of telecom (DoT) in a circular on ‘modification of dialling pattern from fixed line numbers to cellular mobile numbers’ said in order to ensure adequate numbering resources for fixed line and mobile services, Trai’s recommendations dated May 29, 2020 have been accepted by the department.

“Following may be implemented...Fixed-to-mobile calls shall be dialled with prefix ‘0’. Suitable announcement may be fed in the fixed line switches to apprise the fixed line subscribers about the requirement of dialling the prefix ‘0’ for all fixed-to-mobile calls,” DoT said in a circular dated November 20.

This announcement should be played whenever a subscriber dials a fixed-to-mobile call without prefixing ‘0’, it said.

Smart Move

⦾ What has happened: By starting with 0 you have an 11-digit mobile number for land to mobile calls

⦾ What can we expect: Possible first step to switch to 11 digit mobile numbers. Existing numbers will be prefixed with zero, but new numbers can start with any other number. Numbering resources will, therefore, increase