Starting 15 January 2021, all landline-to-mobile calls will have to be dialed with the prefix ‘0’, as per the Department of Telecom (DoT). The idea behind the decision is to free up sufficient numbering resources to add more connections in the future. Notably, there will be no change in landline to landline, mobile to a landline, and mobile to mobile calls are dialed with the move. The Department of Telecom says that all landline users will be provided with a ‘0’ dialing facility.
Further, when users dial a landline to mobile call without prefixing ‘0’, an announcement to alert the subscriber for a change in the dialing plan will be made.
“A total of approximately 2,539 million numbering series is expected to be generated from the above. This will free up sufficient numbering resources for future use,” DoT said in a statement.
The DoT circular also said that all fixed-line (landline) subscribers would be provided with a ‘0’ dialing facility, an STD dialing facility.