The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has said that the users will now have to dial a ‘0’ before entering the mobile number when calling through a fixed landline connection. But this rule isn’t applicable as of yet. The DoT has said through a circular that the new rule will come into effect from January 1, 2021. This decision taken by DoT is so that a space for a fresh number series is there in the market for mobile callers. It is worthy to note that the recommendation to put ‘0’ behind mobile number when calling from a fixed line number came from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).
Trai’s Recommendation to Use Prefix ‘0’ for Mobile Numbers Accepted by DoT
DoT announced through a circular that the recommendation from Trai on ‘modification of dialling pattern from fixed line numbers’, dated May 29, 2020, has been accepted. This is to ensure that there are adequate numbering resources available for both mobile and fixed line numbers in the country.
DoT further said in its announcement that the new rule shall be communicated with the fixed line users by the telcos. Now whenever a fixed line subscriber will make a call to a mobile number, he/she will get to hear about the new rule of dialling a ‘0’ before entering the mobile number.
The department in its circular further said that the telecom operators have some time before this rule comes into effect. Thus they have to utilise this time into educating their subscribers about it. Adding to this, they also need to implement this rule into their system so that calls can take place with the new rule in effect.
Trai had suggested this rule back in May 29, 2020 and had said that this rule is not made to increase the number of digits for a mobile number. In essence, this rule won’t be too much criticised by the users across the country. Dialling a ‘0’ is simply dialling the STD code before the number. A lot of the users do it anyway, so the change is expected to be welcomed with open hands.
