Bahrain switches to eight-digit phone numbers

All telephone numbers, fixed and mobile, throughout Bahrain will move to eight digits starting today, the kingdom's telecom regulator announced yesterday.

Under the new plan, the prefix (17) will be added to all six-digit fixed line numbers and the prefix (3) will be added to all seven-digit mobile numbers, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) said in a press conference yesterday. Emergency numbers such as 999 as well as 800 series and 900 series premium rate and special service numbers will remain unchanged.

While new eight-digit numbers become operational today, they will run in parallel to all old numbers. Callers will be able to access both new and old numbers for a six-month period.

"The phasing out of old numbers is being undertaken in a measured fashion to ensure ample time for all residential and business subscribers to make a smooth transition to new numbers across the kingdom," said the TRA.

The use of the new numbers will become mandatory on 1 June 2004. "However, following this date, provisions have been made to ensure that any caller dialling an old number will be altered to Bahrain's number change and provided with appropriate dialling instructions," the authority noted.

With the introduction of the new numbers, "Bahrain has taken an important step forward in the liberalisation process and its efforts to effectively prepare the grounds for the entrance of competition into the sector," said Keith Gilbert, deputy general director of the TRA.

The Bahraini government recently awarded MTC-Vodafone a second license to operate mobile phone service, ending the decades-long Bahrain Telecommunications Company's (Batelco) monopoly over the telecom sector in the kingdom. The new company will start operations on December 15.

The TRA has launched an awareness campaign called "The Numbers" to alert all telecom users of the changes. The campaign is being run in cooperation with Batelco and MTC-Vodafone.

The plan is aimed "to ensure Bahrain can accommodate the increasing customer demand for telecoms services," Gilbert said.

Khalid Al Farkh, Chief Operating Officer of MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain) said: "With the new numbering plan coming into effect, Bahrain should be set for many years to come to accommodate increased customer demand."

Ahmed Al Janahi, senior manager of corporate affairs at Batelco urged everyone in Bahrain to make a note of the changes, and to start implementing them right away. "Our message is that the sooner you start the easier the change will be," he said.