Landline users must dial ‘0’ before a mobile number from January 15 - Here is why
Callers will now be required to add a '0' prefix for making calls from landlines to mobile phones in the country from January 15.
The Ministry of Communications on Wednesday in an official release noted that starting January 15, all fixed to mobile calls need to be dialed with prefix '0' from 15th January, 2021 "to free up sufficient numbering resources for future use."
"With the consideration of TRAI Recommendation on 'Ensuring Adequate Numbering Resources for Fixed Line and Mobile Services' Department of Telecommunications has taken the decision of implementing the following: All Fixed to Mobile calls will be dialed with prefix '0' from 15th January, 2021. There will be no change in the dialing plan from fixed to fixed, mobile to fixed, and mobile to mobile calls. A suitable announcement will be made for the same. This announcement shall be played whenever a subscriber dials a fixed to mobile call without prefixing '0'. All fixed-line subscribers will be provided with '0' dialing facility," read a press statement from the Ministry of Communications.
According to the statement, a total of approximately 2539 million numbering series is expected to be generated from the above. This will free up sufficient numbering resources for future use. With the freeing up of sufficient numbering resources, more number of connections can be added in the future which will be beneficial to the mobile customers at large. The above changes have been done in order to have minimum inconvenience to the subscribers and freeing up essential numbering resources, the statement added.
With the consideration of TRAI Recommendation on “Ensuring Adequate Numbering Resources for Fixed Line and Mobile Services" DoT has taken the decision of implementing the following:
- All Fixed-to-Mobile calls will be dialed with the prefix ‘0’ from 15th January, 2021.
- There will be no change in dialling plan from fixed-to-fixed, mobile-to-fixed, and mobile-to-mobile calls.
- Suitable announcement will be made for the same. This announcement shall be played whenever a subscriber dials a fixed to mobile call without prefixing ‘0’.
- All fixed-line subscribers will be provided with a ‘0’ dialling facility.