Mobile numbers might soon include 11th digit

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) is collecting users’ opinions on how to efficiently utilise the current mobile phone number repository.

Director of the Department of Telecommunications Pham Hong Hai announced at a briefing this week that the ministry was looking into two possibilities to increase available permutations. The first choice was to add an 11th digit to outstanding mobile phone numbers and the second option was to license new mobile network codes.

The former way eliminates the confusion brought in by multiple mobile operator codes but requires outstanding subscribers to change their contact numbers, which causes widespread inconvenience and costs users higher telecommunications service fees.

The latter alternative makes no change in current mobile phone numbers but demands several new mobile network codes.

Also, Hai added that over 200 million numbers had been issued to mobile network operators so far, but only around 112 million of them were actually in use. That means the efficient use of the numbers repository remains low at about 50 per cent.

To improve the situation, the ministry is looking to more efficient management and allocation of current mobile phone numbers. Accordingly, the ministry will provide additional numbers to telecoms enterprises, provided that they reach a utilisation efficiency of over 65 per cent, 75 per cent or 85 per cent based on each business’s existing mobile phone numbers repository.

In addition, the ministry reported no mobile phone operator code has been issued since the enforcement date over the last year. — VNS

Tags: Vietnam Telecom, Vietnam telecom maket