23.04.2008
Starting from May 3rd, 2008, Romania will complete the final stages of closing the National Numbering Plan (PNN), i.e. all the numbers, may they be local or national, shall be dialled using a prefix (national prefix ”0” + the geographic area indicative).
Thus, the subscribers of fixed telephony providers could not be reached unless the caller dials the whole national number, consisting of 10 digits (prefix + local number), for all types of calls – local or national.
For example, a subscriber located in Constanta will be able to call another subscriber in Constanta by dialling 0241 xxx xxx or 0341 xxx xxx, depending on the called party’s provider of fixed telephone services. In Bucharest, the local number consisting of seven digits will be dialled together with the prefix ”021” or ”031”.
Moreover, the current format of short numbers will also be changed to make a clear difference between the numbers for national public interest services (the time, Romtelecom subscriber directory, Romtelecom technical assistance etc.) and numbers providing access to local public interest services – at county level (Gendarmerie, taxi, „Hello, Mr. Mayor”, various technical assistance services etc.). Short numbers for national public interest services will consist of four digits, the first of which will be 1, followed by the current 3-digit number (e.g., 1958 for the service telling the time, irrespective of the caller’s county). Numbers for local public interest services will consist of seven digits, including the specific prefix and the current short number (e.g.: dial 0248956 for the Arges Gendarmerie, 0267956 – for the Covasna Gendarmerie, 0219361 – for TAROM Bucharest Info). In view of preserving the seven-digit format, the special current 3-digit numbers used in Bucharest and in the Ilfov county shall double their last digit (e.g., dial 0219566 – for the Bucharest Gendarmerie).
”Both the unique emergency call number – 112 – and the mobile telephony numbers remain unchanged ,” the ANRCTI President, Mr. Dan Georgescu, emphasized during the press conference announcing these changes, organised at the Authority’s headquarters today.
ANRCTI has established that the change in dialling shall encompass two phases: between May 3 and July 31, 2008, all the fixed telephony numbers may be dialled both in the old and in the new format, the subscribers being informed by a voice message or by written messages on the new dialling format. During August 1st – September 30, 2008, calls to the old format numbers will fail, the subscribers being informed, on a call-by-call basis, either by voice messages or by written messages, on the new number format. Starting October 1st, callers to old format numbers will be informed that the respective numbers do no longer exist.
In addition to the information provided by voice messages and by the other means used by the operators concerned to disseminate this change for their own subscribers, ANRCTI will provide five million information brochures, which are to be made publicly available by the post offices throughout the country in the second stage of this transition period. ANRCTI has also launched a cost-free telephone line – 0800.855.855 (available exclusively on the Romtelecom network).
The provider whose subscribers dial six- and seven-digit numbers at the local level currently enjoys a competitive advantage, as compared to the other providers, whose subscribers have to dial ten-digit numbers. Therefore, the European Commission recommended that Romania should enforce a level format for all the telephone numbers. The closing of the PNN and the enforcement of the ten-digit format for all the telephone numbers remove a barrier to free competition in the electronic communications market and provides for a fair competitive environment for all the providers that use geographic numbering resources.
The possibility of dialling both types of number formats characterised a transition period towards the closing of the PNN, this process taking into due account the large volume of investments required for modernising the incumbent’s network.