Icasa cracks open new number range

Vodacom, MTN and Cell C have been granted access to the new number range as demand for Sim cards continues to grow. By Duncan McLeod.

Added by Duncan McLeod on 13 February 2013.
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Get ready to the idea dialling mobile numbers with prefixes like “060” and “061”. The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has opened up the “06” prefix for the first time as growth in mobile subscriptions propels demand from operators for additional numbers.

Until now, Cell C, for example, has had access to numbers in the “084” and “074” ranges only, but Icasa has now granted the mobile operator access to all numbers starting “0610”, “0611”, “0612” and “0613”.

Vodacom, meanwhile, has been given access to “0606”, “0607”, “0608” and “0609” and MTN is now using “0603”, “0604” and “0605” in addition to the more familiar prefixes like “083” and “073”.

When the cellphone industry was founded in the early 1990s, South Africa’s first two licensed mobile operators, Vodacom and MTN, were given access to the “082” and “083” number ranges. However, growth in demand from consumers far outstripped initial industry expectations, with the telecommunications regulator forced to open up new numbers to the two operators on a regular basis as a result.

Number prefix assignments

VODACOMMTNCELL C8TA
071106030740811
071206040840812
0713060506100813
0714071006110814
0715071706120815
0716071806130817
0720719
076073
079078
082083
08180810
0606
0607
0608
0609

When Cell C was licensed at the turn of the century, it was given access to the “084” number block, and later to numbers with the “074” prefix.

When 8ta, Telkom’s consumer mobile arm, was launched in 2010, it scored a bit of a coup in securing the “081” number block, rather than “085”. The view at the time was that this was a victory for Telkom in that it could give consumers the impression that the operator was first or number one in the mobile industry.  — (c) 2013 NewsCentral Media

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  • mrmaboea

    Interesting. MTN had already started using the 060 range by December. I was assigned a number in that range when I activated my starter pack.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=527737873 Vusi Sibiya

    When 8ta, Telkom’s consumer mobile arm, was launched in 2010, it scored a bit of a coup in securing the “081” number block, rather than “085”.

    The “085″ range wouldn’t have been given to 8ta as it has already been allocated to Sentech.

  • synack_sa

    I wish ICASA would crack open LLU and do something useful for a change

  • Marulaneng

    @synack_sa:disqus : pls stick to the topic at hand – number range! or why dont you join Icasa and “…crack open LLU…” instead of complaining about it?

  • Mbazo Mabuza

    Whats sentech doing with that range ?. They sit on everything i.e. spectrum, number ranges etc. Icasa must take back that range and re-allocate to the mobile networks.
    I hear even neotel has been allocated numbers in the “06…” range, wonder what they will do with it .

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=527737873 Vusi Sibiya

    It is intended for VoiP services similar to those offered by Vox and Telfree who are using the “087″ range. Sentech managed to secure the “085″ range and so I would imagine that when they do launch services they’ll also be “perceived” to have scored a bit of a coup over the guys on the “087″ range.

  • http://www.facebook.com/tim.parle.94 Tim Parle

    The 085 range was reserved for the USALs (Underservice Area Licence).

  • heinkoen

    I wish ICASA would “crack open” legislation on porting of 087- (VoIP) numbers. They have had “no budget” (read don’t have the skills or will) since 2005 to change legislation. Icasa guy told me this morning they have had “suspect leadership” for many years.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=527737873 Vusi Sibiya

    Nonetheless Sentech does have reserved allocation to the range.

  • dominic

    afaik WBS were awarded 1 million numbers in the 081 6xx xxxx range in March 2011 which would explain the gap in your table

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=527737873 Vusi Sibiya

    Number range isn’t all that its made out to be. I think quality of service is what’s important and should be the main focus for operators. I would agree with heinkoen on the porting of 087-(VoiP) numbers. If there’s a number that you “somehow” feel should be yours for life then port it to the best carrier service available. I wouldn’t go with WBS simply because they have 081 6 numbers but if I did get a number which I wanted to keep in their range I would definitely port it to my preferred network.

  • Ashley

    Lets do the maths guys ……….. Why are we allocating 50 million numbers to a single operator when there are only 55 million people in our country. Total numbers in circulation is 340 million numbers. what for ? dual sims ok that takes us to 110 million numbers. whats the other 230 million used for. Numbers are not being recycled fast enough. Operators are not deleting numbers that are not used within 6 months. why Free revenue with unused sims. Each time you a dial a number not in a phone you get charged for the call. Operators make between 200-300 million a year from this alone.

  • Marulaneng

    have u heard about telemetry? machines also use numbers! in fact, in future machines will be using more number than people

  • TPM2

    funny how these money-making initiatives get ‘QUICKLY CRACKED OPEN’….what about LLU etc

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