On Tuesday, September 4, 2007, the ANRCTI President’s Decision no.2895/2007 on the National numbering plan was published in the Romanian Official Journal no.608. The decision provides that, starting May 3, 2008, the subscribers of all fixed telephone services providers may be called only if the national number (comprising 10 figures – national prefix „0” + geographic area indicative + local number) is dialled for both local and long-distance calls.
“With the entry in force of the provisions set out in this Decision, we shall obtain a modern and uniform numbering plan, through the exclusive use of the national numbers and the elimination of the local numbers. The closing of the PNN is a priority problem, its solving being necessary in order to promote competition in the electronic communications market, to ensure a high efficiency in managing and using the numbering resources, as well as to ensure the end-users’ protection”, Dan Georgescu, the President of ANRCTI, declared.
The decision amends the current form of the short numbers, differentiating between the numbers destined for services of public interest at national level (police, gendarmerie, public utilities enquiry, enquiry services etc.) and the numbers destined to the provision of certain services of general interest at local level (such as, taxi, “hello, Mr. Mayor” etc.) by adding the figure 1 before the current number (in the case of the first category of services) and, respectively, the geographic area indicative (for the second category of services). For instance, in order to make a call towards the “Exact hour” service one will dial 1958 instead of 958, as it happens at present, and in order to call the “Consumer protection” service in Constanta county one will dial 0241980. The unique emergency call number – 112 – shall not change its form.
The transition to the new manner of dialling the telephone numbers within the 0Z=02 domain shall be done in 2 phases. Thus, between May 3 to July 31, 2008, one may initiate calls towards these numbers both by dialling the number in the current form and in the new form, and the subscribers shall be informed on the amendment brought to the way of dialling the numbers. Between August 1 to September 20, 2008, the subscribers shall be informed on the new form of the number, by means of a vocal or a written message, but the call shall not be routed towards the destination anymore.
Furthermore, the decision provides the opening of new numbering sub-domains for the mobile telephone services – 070 – with respect to the services offered to the providers of virtual mobile networks (MVNO), who provide services for the use of certain features of other public mobile networks, based on certain agreements concluded with the operators of such networks.
Within the revised National numbering plan, a new category of numbers shall be introduced within the 0Z=03 domain: numbers independent of location (within the 037, 038, 039 sub-domains). These resources may be used for services provision in any place on national territory. Thus, ANRCTI aims at ensuring adequate resources to the technological evolution of the networks used for the provision of electronic communications services (for example, the use of the IP technology, the fixed-to-mobile convergence etc.).