Have you been picking up reports on mobile numbers being altered from 10 digits to 13 digits? Taken by a surprise, thinking it may add to the confusion? Well, hold your horses because it’s just a rumor doing the rounds. Calling it a misinterpretation on part of the media wouldn’t be incorrect. Lately, the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) has released orders that M2M numbers would be upgraded to 13 digits. This news has been wrongly communicated to the citizens of the country, throwing them in a world of confusion. Here’s a tad bit to clear the air.
M2M is an abbreviation for machine to machine. Telecom service providers across the country has been instructed to disperse only 13-digit mobile numbers to the Sim-based M2M machines. This clearly indicate that mobile used by all and sundry for communication only will remain unaffected. The news has been confirmed from the top guns of the country’s largest telecom service providers. Reliance Jio and Bharati Airtel for instance.
M2M services are offered by telecom service providers to enterprises catering to a line of business. As of now, it was just a 10-digit number put in use, very much similar to the numbers used by regular retail customers. However, earlier this month, directives from the DoT suggested that the new numbering scheme showcasing 13-digit numbers must be implemented for M2M communications as soon possible.
Tentative dates for the migration of numbers has also been fixed upon. Migration procedures for old and existing 10-digit M2M numbers will start from the 1st of October this year. It is expected that the entire procedure would be wrapped up by the 31st of December, 2018. Adding to the convenience, allocation of 13-digit numbers would be kick-started from July 1st, 2018. DoT has also made it clear that service providers across the country must make arrangements to ensure that IT and other network relevant systems should be upgraded and in alignment with the 13-digit numbering change. All changes must be done right-away and finished to perfection by the 1st of July.
There’s a bunch of telecom operators serving in the country, offering enterprise customers befitting and value added M2M services. Bharati Airtel being a giant shark of the telecommunication industry, paired up with Vodafone, BSNL and RCom. Wondering, what plans of value added services are extended for enterprise customers? Well, Airtel for instance, boosts up ordinary M2M schemes with rewarding offers like asset tracking solutions, traffic management solution, smart metering and equipment monitoring solution. Isn’t this great already?
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited – a state-run telecom provider sent letters to network equipment providers like Nokia Solutions and ZTE Telecom, clearly spilling the beans that the Department of Telecommunications has finally called upon a decision. There is a pressing need for all M2M connections being migrated from a run-of-the-mill 10-digit numbering system to a 13-digit numbering system. Apart from network elements, the LI system must also be changed and transformed, to work in accordance with the upcoming 13-digit numbering system.