Mobile subscriber number 11 stops working from today

Network operators have just announced that they will stop applying parallel dialing for 11-digit subscribers switching to 10-digit numbers from 0:00 on November 15, according to the roadmap of the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Accordingly, after this time, customers will not be able to make calls or send messages to 11-digit subscribers. Instead, network operators will deploy notification tones (in English and Vietnamese) until June 30, 2019, if users still make calls to the old numbers.

Network operators recommend that users synchronize their phone contacts to convert all 11-digit phone numbers to 10-digit numbers to ensure uninterrupted communication. Currently, there are many phone number conversion applications on the market, but network operators recommend that customers use applications provided by domestic telecommunications companies to avoid personal information being exposed or leaked...

"In addition, all customers also need to quickly change the phone number registered with the bank and other services to the new number to ensure security and receive full OTP confirmation codes," the network representative recommended.

Previously, to prepare for the network code conversion plan, the State Bank also required banks to develop a conversion plan in accordance with the roadmap of the Ministry of Information and Communications and mobile telecommunications enterprises. In particular, banks proactively develop appropriate conversion plans, taking into account technological and electronic application solutions such as tools for customers to register to change phone number information via website, Internet-Banking, Mobile-Banking, SMS-Banking... to ensure convenience for customers. The State Bank also required banks to ensure safety and continuity of service activities during the implementation process.

11-digit subscribers were officially granted to network operators by the management agency in 2007. However, up to now, the Ministry of Information and Communications has determined that the usage efficiency is much lower than that of 2-digit codes (starting with 9x). In addition, the rate of phone subscribers using the 1xx network code leaving the network is quite high. Spam SIMs, spam messages... also mainly arise from the 1xx network code. Therefore, converting the 1xx network code to a new 2-digit network code not only creates fairness in dialing length for service users but also contributes to limiting the rate of subscribers leaving the network, limiting spam SIMs, spam messages...

The plan to convert and unify mobile subscribers to 10 digits is included in the Telecommunications Numbering Plan set out by the Ministry of Information and Communications in Circular 22, issued in 2015. According to this plan, in 2017, when the re-planning of fixed area codes is completed, the management agency will convert 11-digit mobile subscribers to 10 digits. However, the implementation has only been carried out so far, which is one year later than the original plan.