Landline to mobile phones calling rules changing from January 15: Here is all you want to know

New Delhi: Telecom subscribers will have to prefix ‘0’ as they call from a landline to any mobile number starting today (January 15, 2021).

There will be no change with respect to dialling numbers for fixed-to fixed, mobile-to-fixed, and mobile-to-mobile calls.

The decision has been taken up in order to ensure adequate numbering resources for fixed line and mobile services. Telecom regulator TRAI had recommended the move in May 2020.

Telecom operators like Airtel and Reliance Jio have also informed subscribers that they would need to prefix ”0” for making calls from landline to mobile phones from January 15.

A DoT’s November 20 circular said that all the fixed line subscribers should be provided with ‘0’ dialing facility, STD dialing facility.

DoT said that suitable announcements may be fed in the fixed line switches to apprise the fixed line subscribers about the requirement of dialing 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 regulator had, however, said that the introduction of dialling a prefix for a particular type of call is not akin to increasing the number of digits in the telephone number.