NTC to increase phonenumbers

The National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) will request every mobile phone users to change their number from initial 9 to 10 digits from September 1st onwards. The NTC said a telecommunication decree issued on May 18 was meant to prevent insufficient mobile phone numbers in the future due to promotions and low monthly rates offered by mobile phone companies. However, a number will remain at 9 digits in both home and public phones.

It is expected that in the next 30 years, the number of users will rise to 100 million as technology advances. This will also create a fair business competition among mobile phone companies as well as prompting business growth in the region.

Moreover, a new system will support a single phone number between different mobile phone networks. The NTC added that phone numbers will be adjusted by the phone companies free of charge for their customers.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 12 July 2006

The National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) will request every mobile phone users to change their number from initial 9 to 10 digits from September 1st onwards.

Since it's only a "request", does that mean I can keep my existing number? :)

30 years ?

I wonder if they understand IPv6 ?

9 current digits... that allows for 999,999,999 phone numbers.

10 times the predicted amount.

9 current digits... that allows for 999,999,999 phone numbers.

10 times the predicted amount.

It is still an awful lot of numbers, but phone systems are not as easy as saying every number in the range is available. All based on having to give different carriers, regions etc different codes. To have every number in use would require one main central routing database locating EVERY number in the system. It doesn't work. Phone systems need to be quick, so they route on prefixes which is where the wastage of numbers start.

AS this is supposed to happen in about 6 weeks. Does anyone know how it is going to be implimented?

Are they going to add a 2 or 3 or 6 or 8 to the front of every number or is it going to be on a company by company basis, AIS 2, DTAC 5.

I can see some big problems if this is not resolved and communicated to the world very soon.

NTC to increase phonenumbers

The National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) will request every mobile phone users to change their number from initial 9 to 10 digits from September 1st onwards. The NTC said a telecommunication decree issued on May 18 was meant to prevent insufficient mobile phone numbers in the future due to promotions and low monthly rates offered by mobile phone companies. However, a number will remain at 9 digits in both home and public phones.

This will not fix the congestion though. New equipment and planning will help fix the congestion caused by excess use due to promotions.

Moreover, a new system will support a single phone number between different mobile phone networks. The NTC added that phone numbers will be adjusted by the phone companies free of charge for their customers.

Oh look!!! Number portability, the concept has been available in other countries for some time.

I thouht this was happening on the 1st September!!

See this thread.

No just a nebulous proposal for consideration.

I wonder if the Thais have been told?

None of my friends have told me their number is about to change. Or should I be reading something else into this?