www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Get ready to add one more digit to your already difficult to remember mobile number from January next year.  National Numbering Plan 2003 has been amended by Department of Telecommunications (DoT), migrating the current 10 digit numbers to an 11-digit numbering plan in mobile services.

As per the amendment, an extra ‘9’ would be prefixed to the existing two-digit PLMN Access Code. According to an internal DoT note, the proposed migration may be implemented from January 10, 2010.

Earlier, number ‘2’ was prefixed to all BSNL and MTNL fixed-line phones across the country a few years ago to accommodate more connections.

Every service provider has its own PLMN, identified by Mobile Country Code (MCC) and the Mobile Network Code (MNC). The PLAM connects with internet service providers for data and internet access and interconnects with other PlAMs and public switched telephone networks (PSTNs) for telephone communications.

The unexpected growth in India’s mobile subscribers has made this numbering plan imminent. With 10-14 million mobile subscribers added to the list every month, the wireless subscriber base has already crossed 500 million, making it compulsory for DoT to re-examine plans in order to accommodate more subscribers.