Almost everyone has a smartphone or a mobile phone these days and landlines are a thing of the past. Yet, several households especially in the smaller cities are still dependent on landlines to make calls. And, all of them will be affected by a recent decision taken by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The DoT has made it mandatory to prefix 0 before a number for making landline to mobile calls, effective from January 1, 2021. 

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The move comes after the sector regulator, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recommended the move to create enough numbering space for telcos. In a new notification, the DoT said that fixed-line users will soon begin hearing the announcement apprising them of the move. The message will be played whenever a fixed-line user will dial to a mobile number without prefixing 0.  

"Suitable announcement may be fed in the fixed-line switches to apprise the fixed-line subscribers about the requirement of dialling the prefix 0 for all fixed to mobile calls. This announcement should be played whenever a subscriber dials a fixed to mobile call without prefixing 0," the DoT notification said.  

In the circular on ‘modification of dialling pattern from fixed line numbers to cellular mobile numbers', DoT said the Trai’s recommendation dated March 29, 2020 have been accepted in order to “ensure adequate numbering resources for fixed line and mobile services” 

"All the fixed-line subscribers should be provided with `0' dialling facility, that is, STD dialling facility," said the circular posted on DoT's website. 

The DoT has given all telecom service providers time to implement the new order till January 1, 2020. 

In a separate development, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will put out a policy soon for the proliferation of public WiFi hotspots. It is expected to use all technologies, including satellite technologies, for providing broadband to all the citizens of this country.