Interruptions to be experienced in phone networks next week

Change of telephone numbering announced September 24, 2014 by the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications will come into force on Friday, November 21.

A statement released says "as part of the change of telephone numbering plan, the Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (TRA) informs the public of the inter-operator tests to be made on ?Friday, Nov. 14 2014, from 23 hours, for a period of four hours," says the ART in a statement released to notify subscribers.

"Such tests could cause some disruptions in the networks of operators. Therefore, users of electronic communication services should bear with us," says the document signed by Jean Louis Mengue, CEO of ART.

Thus, from Friday, November 21, 2014, subscribers of CAMTEL should add the number 2 as a prefix and the number 6 to start dialing the numbers of mobile operators such as MTN, Orange and Nexttel.

This is the first time that private companies pioneering in this area, Orange and MTN will be forced to have an identical prefix other than the number 9 (for orange) and number 7 (for Mtn) that distinguished them apart.

With this unique prefix, "it is in respect to international standards and this is a prelude to number portability too. So you can soon change operators without changing the number. In France for example, all mobile numbers start with 6 and behind, you can not know the operator as easily," ?said an official of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.