A circular establishing new area codes as well as mobile phone prefixeswill take effect in March, but it will be carried out in phases, DeputyMinister of Information and Communication Le Nam Thang said on January10.
Thang was responding to concerns that the new area codes andmobile phone prefixes would cause considerable difficulties forbusinesses, especially since they are in the thick of preparations forthe Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, the biggest in the country.
Thangstressed the importance of establishing the new area codes as well asmobile phone prefixes saying the old system, which was designed morethan 50 years ago, can no longer accommodate the country's fastdeveloping telecommunication networks.
"Fifteen years ago, thenumber of landline users was many times that of mobile phone users. Now,out of a total of 140 million phone numbers, 133 million are mobilephone users, but seven of nine digital prefixes have been assigned tolandline users," he said.
"Long-distance calls, which require anarea code, amounted to just 1.6 percent of the total number of callsmade in Vietnam. The impact, therefore, would be minimal," he added.
Thangalso clarified that not all mobile phone users will be affected by thecircular. Only those having 11-digit mobile phone numbers willexperience the change, he said.
Even then, the numbers won't be changed completely, just the first four digits, he added.
Newsof the circular had sparked concern among businesses over costs thatwould be incurred in changing their contact information on labels andpackages.
"The circular will re-organise the area codes. It willtake effect officially on March 1, but this does not mean every changewill take place on that day. It is a long-term plan and will be carriedout in many phases," said Thang.
The implementation process willbe carefully studied to minimise any adverse affect it may have onbusinesses, organisations and individuals, he said.
Affected usergroups will be notified 60 days ahead of time on media and by othermeans of communication. The ministry will co-operate withtelecommunications companies to provide technical support during andafter the transitional period.
The deputy minister also said changes that do not affect large numbers of users will be prioritised.
The system will handle both old and the new numbers for a while before the changes become permanent, he added.-VNA
Thang was responding to concerns that the new area codes andmobile phone prefixes would cause considerable difficulties forbusinesses, especially since they are in the thick of preparations forthe Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, the biggest in the country.
Thangstressed the importance of establishing the new area codes as well asmobile phone prefixes saying the old system, which was designed morethan 50 years ago, can no longer accommodate the country's fastdeveloping telecommunication networks.
"Fifteen years ago, thenumber of landline users was many times that of mobile phone users. Now,out of a total of 140 million phone numbers, 133 million are mobilephone users, but seven of nine digital prefixes have been assigned tolandline users," he said.
"Long-distance calls, which require anarea code, amounted to just 1.6 percent of the total number of callsmade in Vietnam. The impact, therefore, would be minimal," he added.
Thangalso clarified that not all mobile phone users will be affected by thecircular. Only those having 11-digit mobile phone numbers willexperience the change, he said.
Even then, the numbers won't be changed completely, just the first four digits, he added.
Newsof the circular had sparked concern among businesses over costs thatwould be incurred in changing their contact information on labels andpackages.
"The circular will re-organise the area codes. It willtake effect officially on March 1, but this does not mean every changewill take place on that day. It is a long-term plan and will be carriedout in many phases," said Thang.
The implementation process willbe carefully studied to minimise any adverse affect it may have onbusinesses, organisations and individuals, he said.
Affected usergroups will be notified 60 days ahead of time on media and by othermeans of communication. The ministry will co-operate withtelecommunications companies to provide technical support during andafter the transitional period.
The deputy minister also said changes that do not affect large numbers of users will be prioritised.
The system will handle both old and the new numbers for a while before the changes become permanent, he added.-VNA
