Nepal Telecom (NTC) is set to distribute 97 number range for GSM SIM cards after its 98 ranges reach the combined 30 million subscriber limit.
NTC’s 97 number range is designated for the telco’s CDMA service/RUIM card. However, the company is shutting down the CDMA service in favor of GSM leaving its number range available for use. This is also one of the reasons why NTC is converting CDMA’s 97 range into GSM numbers.
NTC Managing Director Dilliram Adhikari said, “The company’s allocated 98 range has reached its end, and therefore, it’s converting CDMA’s available 97 range into GSM.”
As per the National Numbering Plan, NTC has acquired 984, 985, and 986 number ranges for its GSM services. NTC operates 984, and 986 ranges for its prepaid services while it uses 985 for postpaid. Each number range is entitled to one crore (10 million) subscribers. This means NTC has 3 crores (30 million) subscribers available in which NTC can issue 2 crore SIM cards for prepaid and 1 crore for the post-paid GSM services. But NTC’s prepaid number range has been exhausted.
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NTC’s 98-Based Contacts Reaches Limit
Rajesh Joshi, NTC Spokesman says, “Adhering to the National Numbering Plan, one number range has reached 99 lakhs and 9 hundred and 99. It is not possible to begin a new range for the company. The numbering is done in the package and NTC has made all the number ranges 984, 985, and 986 available since the beginning.”
“The company circulates the SIM cards as per the demands in all the districts. While doing so, the company has to send more SIM cards than necessary to keep them in stocks. This means, the market already has more SIM cards than is used on mobile phones. Therefore, one of the ranges of the three has reached its designated limit”, he added.
NTC also recycles the mobile numbers that have been abandoned by the owners. When a SIM card owner stops using a particular contact number for a long time, the number freezes. NTC reactivates the number for a new life.
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NTC Converts CDMA’s 97 Number Range For GSM Services
NTC’s number range for GSM services has reached its allowed distribution. This has compelled NTC to look for a new number range. Having already announced plans to shut down its dated CDMA service, NTC is converting its 97 number range into the GSM service.
The state telco has announced that it is discontinuing the CDMA service across the country. NTC is currently migrating the CDMA users to the GSM services. At the same time, the number range defined for CDMA is now coming useful for the telco.
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NTC has begun distributing SIM cards based on the 97 number range since Chaitra 2077. The previous ranges are almost unavailable at the stores. If you go to a SIM card vendor anytime soon, the chances are high that you will get a number with the 97 range.
As per NTA’s Bhadra data, NTC has a combined 20,824,643 subscribers on the GSM network for both prepaid and postpaid services. Meanwhile, a total of 320,943 customers are still on the CDMA system but are set to migrate to GSM services. If you are using CDMA sky SIM, it is better to migrate to GSM with Ntc’s CDMA to the GSM migration offer.
Do you have an NTC SIM card? Do share how you feel about NTC distributing the 97 number range for its GSM services in the comments below.
