Starting September 15, every one of Vietnam’s 60 million 11-digit mobile phone numbers will be replaced with a 10-digit counterpart, according to the Ministry of Information and Communications.
The plan is part of the government’s effort to standardize the nation’s telecommunications systems. The last seven digits, which are used to distinguish carrier subscribers, will not be changed, according to Tuoi Tre. The first four digits, however, which identify the carrier network, will be shortened to a three-digit format.
The entire process will be carried out by phone networks, which means subscribers won’t be required to take action. Customers who already have a 10-digit phone number will not see any change.
Networks must notify affected customers about the change 60 days in advance, according to VietnamNet. Between September 15 and November 14, they will enable automatic redirection to the new 10-digit numbers. After this, anyone who calls an 11-digit number will receive a voice instruction informing them how to dial the new 10-digit number.
As reported by the Vietnam National Telecommunications Agency, there were 119.5 million mobile phone numbers in use as of February 2018. Given the nation’s population, that means for every 100 people in Vietnam there are roughly 125 mobile numbers.
Implementing the switch means services registered with phone numbers (including emails, social media and mobile banking) would be affected, leaving mobile owners concerned. Bank customers are advised to take the initiative and inform their banks about the change, as it is illegal for banks to adjust customers’ phone numbers without their written consent.
[Photo via ITHunter]
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