WLL mobiles will soon have 10-digit nos

All WLL-mobile phone users may soon have to change their numbers. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Tuesday recommended that like cellphones, WLL mobile phones would also have 10-digit numbers beginning with the level 9. The WLL phones were earlier ‘limited mobility’ phones and hence had numbers like landline numbers consisting of eight digits. With full mobility now, these numbers would now have to be similar to cellphone numbers.

‘‘Based on the principle of level-playing field, all fully mobile cellular services irrespective of technology deployed should be treated at par as far as numbering scheme is concerned. Numbering scheme for full mobility provided by existing basic service operators who have migrated to unified access service licence should be at the same level (level 9) as that of cellular subscribers,’’ a TRAI statement said here. (ENS)